More About Teaching P-Ng Natives Simple

English

WE have received from the Aus tralian Branch of the Oxford University Press, the first-year books of the Oxford English Course for Papua and New Guinea; we have received also a letter from the Aus tralian manager, Mr. Frank Eyre, commenting on our article, on the subject of teaching English in Papua- New Guinea schools, which was pub lished in July issue.

It was stated that the course was designed for teaching English as a second language, and this, we sug gested, was rather putting the cart before the horse that English should be the first, or universal language.

Mr, Eyre apparently agrees. He says that he does not know what the P-NG policy is in regard to this, but that the University Press always hopes that when one of these courses is designed for an area, the result will be to make English the lingua franca, and that experience invari ably has shown that this is what happens as a matter of course, what ever official policy may be.

However, as it is necessary to have some medium of instruction before one can teach children anything, he feels that the earliest instruction in village schools will be in the vernac

ular and that this should not preset any difficulties as each villag teacher “will surely have to learn hi own local vernacular.”

There are, however, as we see i two main difficulties in teachin English to Papua-New Guinea nativ children—as opposed, for exampl to teaching it to Fijian children c Samoan children. One is the multi plicity of native languages or dh lects which vary from district t district, even from village to village The second is the scarcity of nativ teachers. A contributary difficult is that the Territory is not uniform!

“civilized.” For example, there i as much difference between the li\ ing standards of the inhabitants o a remote Central Highland hamk and those of the natives of Poi Moresby as there is between th lives of the Port Moresby am Rabaul natives and the residents o Sydney.

Moreover, the obvious necessit of teaching first in the vernacula is going to severely limit the fiel of operations of the native teacher that is, he will have to teach in district whose language he himse] speaks. It is probable that the back ground and experience of native living near the centre of Europea: influence such as Moresby, am Rabaul, fits them better for the rol of teacher, but it is obviously im possible to send these people to th Highlands, for example, or the Sepik where they will not understand o be understood by the local natives Most New Guinea natives can spea.’

Pidgin—or learn it very quickly evei in the remotest parts. But it seem to make little sense to use Pidgr as a medium for teaching straigb English. As it is human nature brown as well as white, to take th easy way out, it is doubtful if thi would be very successful.

A great deal of thought has gon into the Oxford books. The first year pupils’ books are divided infc two parts—speaking and reading and from the pupils’ point of viev the business of learning to speak am read English should not be too diffi cult, providing that they have teacher who knows his business. Bu the third book of the first-year’ series—Teacher’s Notes—natural!! raises the question how mani native teachers in P-NG are equip ped to give pupils the full benefit a the Oxford English course. And thi

answer probably is, so lamentably few that only a token assault can be made on the mass illiteracy that fexists in the Territory to-day.

I However, a start must be made somewhere. The important thing is not the inadequacies or difficulties of the present, but the fact that some Ibasic plan has been made, a course : plotted. Over the years there has ■ been much argument as to what should be the universal language for [Papua or New Guinea. Motu, other dialects, Pidgin have all had their champions. Each of the mis sions has taught in the medium best suited to its requirements, but there has been no official policy laid down.

Most people will rejoice that a de cision has at last been made, and although the choice of simple En glish is probably the most difficult to attain, most will agree that the Tight course has been taken. \ Two nuns of a French Canadian order who were recently expelled from China by the Communists will open a Convent of the Con gregation of Angels in Tahiti.

They are Sisters Bruno and Rosaire and have been waiting in Australia since their expulsion from China earlier this year.

Sir Walter Carpenter, founder of the Carpenter group of Pacific Companies, left Sydney in August for North America, where he will spend some months. Sir Walter now is living in retirement.

Dr, Edward Jacomb, formerly prominent in New Hebrides affairs, but for many years a resident of the Channel Islands, arrived in Sydney in July, after spending several months in Norfolk Island and New Hebrides. As a legal and

medical man, with a keen interest in Administration, he may have something interesting to say about the Condominium.

Apia’s out-of-date telephone system is now being overhauled. Instead of overhead wires, underground armoured cables are being installed and the new system should provide a much improved telephone system.

About 100 new subscribers on the waiting list will now get ’phone connections.