Wau, Ng

Secondary School For

But Why Not a Hill Station As Well?

THE long-discussed secondary school for Papua-New Guinea moved just per ceptibly nearer accomplishment in early May when land for the establish ment was reserved, by proclamation, at Wau, in the Morobe District.

Madang residents discussed the question of this secondary school with Mr. Spender when he recently made his visit to the Territory and were promised that it was to receive early attention.

Presumably the school is for the benefit of Papua-New Guinea generally and will therefore need to be a board ng establish ment for both boys and girls. It has been assumed that this school will be for Euro pean children but this, no doubt, will be a matter of Education Department policy.

It will be remembered that at the begin ning of this year there was a considerable amount of heartburning on the part of Rabaul parents when it was decided to turn the local European school into a mixed school (a decision since cancelled peremptorily by the new Minister for Territories).

A secondary school in New Guinea will fill a long-felt need in a Territory where all children past primary school age must now be sent South. This, of course, is a great financial drain on the re'ogrces of those Territorians who are on a fixed salary. It seems unfortunate, however, that the Administration could not go the whole way and establish their school in the Central Highlands. Their fetish of

keeping all but the chosen out of this area seems at times to reach heights of absurdity. The climate at Wau is better than on the coast, but the climate of the Highlands is ideal for a Hill Station—an amenity that all but the stubborn Austra lians would have established years ago. It seems ridiculous that residents of Papua and New Guinea are compelled to stew and sweat in the humidity of the coast, suffering its itches and rashes and fevers until such time as they are compelled to “go South,” when within a nlane flight of an hour or two, is the delightful, brac ing climate of the Highlands.

There may be perfectly good reasons why this vast area should not be thrown open to all and sundry for permanent settlement, but there seems no valid rea son why some part of it should not be turned into a European holiday settlement with cottages, a decent hotel—and a secondary school.

It has been suggested recently that the Highlands should be used to attract dollar tourists and this for some reason is re garded as a good idea. The idea pre sumably is to turn the atea into a zoo for the amusement of Americans while bona fide residents of the Territory find it a great deal easier to enter the Pearly Gates than to gain to pay a fleeting visit to the Central H ghlands.

IT can be said, of course, that for reasons of economy Wau is a mu:h more desirable site for a school. There is plenty of excellent timber in the Bulolo Valley and there are, too, the sawmills to cut it. But if some super effort is to be made to accommodate American tourists in the Highlands then very little extra ef fort would be needed to establish a school.

Doubtless, many Territory parents will continue to send their children South to school. Although there is one school of thought that believes it is bes*: fo' a child to be brought up in the country in which he will live, whether climate is suitable or not, others believe that a child is best out of a native country in its formative years.