"Frankness Wanted"

Fair Deal Urged for Fijian Education

Letter to the Editor

IN 1948, three out of every four who sat for the Qualifying Examination, from Queen Victoria School. Fiji, passed, whereas last year, 1949, only one out of every four candidates was success ful. These rather alarming facts are re vealed on the comparison of the pub lished results in the Fiji Times.

It appears that over 90 students took the examination at the end of the first year under review—a year, it will be re called, when the school came in for a fair amount of publicity at the hands of the newspapers and as a direct result of which, £lOO,OOO was quickly found to com mence building the new school at Mata vatucou and in which, also, a Principal was hurriedly found to save the face of a Government which had been dis interested for so long.

Criticism abated when Queen Victoria School was temporarily housed at Lodoni with the Intermediate School but now we are struck by this fact that, in spite of improved living and working conditions as well as a more adequate European staff, out of about 80 candidates presented last November, only 20 were successful in passing the Qualifying Examination.

There are two possible explanations.

Firstly, it may be due to internal mis management of the school by the Princi pal in an attempt to establish a purely English institution for our Fi.iian youths.

This does not appear to be the case however, and we have to look for a more serious reason: In years gone by, the number of passes in the Qualifying Exa mination was regulated by what the Government required. If it were decided that a certain number of students would pass, then the marks which the candi dates obtained were so adjusted that only the required number of passes were shown. Surely then the candidates who paid entrance money in good faith should have been warned that such a procedure was liable to operate.

THE recent Budget Debate of the Legis lative Council produced the fact that the Fijians are contributing in the vicinity of £26,000 for the education of their boys and girls. It is presumed that this amount includes the money paid by the Provinces for the maintenance of their boys at the Intermediate School at Lodoni. Have the Fijians been told though, that whereas 600 of their lads were receiving an education when the Provincial Schools were in operation, to day scarcely half that number are in attendance at Lodoni, Kadavu and Buca Levu?

The standard of education reached at Buca Levu, Vatuloa, Lodoni, Sawani, Namaka and Kadavu, 15 years ago, may not have been high but at least, over 600 boys were receiving instruction at schools away from their village environment.

The Director of Education would have us believe that all is well and that the Fijians are much better off to-day than they were under the old Provincial Schools system. We have yet to hear him make a statement to the effect that during his term of office in Fiji, he has reduced the number of boys in atten dance at the Government residential schools, excluding Queen Victoria, to half what it used to be.

By further investigation, it is found that the education of at least 100 boys must have been suddenly stopped twelve months ago when accommodation had to be found at Lodoni for Queen Victoria School. These unfortunate Fijian youths were turned out of school with no quali fications, apparently, to fit them for posi tions and yet possessing enough education to make them dissatisfied with village life and with a thirst for more education. Have we heard any mention of this fact officially?

WE hear a great deal about the Gov ernment being the champion of the rights of the Fijians but can we afford to sit back and allow injustices of the nature described here?

Our education system provides excel lent material for reports to be presented by the Director of Education to Overseas Conferences. Certainly there is a great deal of value in the system, but surely the better way would have been to build the structure on firm foundations by giving the lads who were already in the schools, the chance of completing their education instead of turning them out into the world with nothing. Such harsh treatment will not be easily forgotten and might well be a cause of future trouble with the Fijian people.

We older people have seen many changes taking place in Fiji during the last twenty years and, at times, have be come somewhat apprehensive of what the outcome will be. As responsible citizens, likely to be living here for years after the present Colonial Servants have moved on to higher posts, we should like to see a policy adopted by the Government where frankness and fidelity to the citizens of Fiji are of greater purport that prestige in the eyes of people overseas. The latter will develop naturally from the carrying into effect of the former.

I am, etc.,

Suva, Fiji, Feb. 20, 1950.

Pro-Fijian.

Mr. F. L. A. Gotz, who won the Ota huhu seat in the general election in New Zealand recently, was well known in Western Samoa, where he resided for some years. A correspondent says: “His success was in some part due to Mrs.

Gotz, who worked indefatigably to win votes for him.”

Mr. G. Milner of the London School of Oriental and African Studies, is at pre sent visiting the British Solomon Islands Protectorate. He is studying the various native languages in the Western Solomons and in particular is under taking research into the Vella Lavella language, which unlike any other language in the Group, is reported to be of Papuan origin.

Mr. John Fletcher, after 20 years’ ser vice as senior surveyor to the Joint Court in the New Hebrides, retired in September last and has now taken up his residence in Sydney. The work of the Joint Court, which has the responsibility of allotting land titles in the Condominium, has been greatly retarded by war and post-war conditions. •