P-NG’s Secondary School

Discussed Again

PAPUA-NEW Guinea residents are again discussing the pros and sons of providing secondary educa ion for European children there in he Territory. Wau Town Advisory Council has circularised other Town Councils asking if they are prepared p assist in the establishment of such [ school and the Councils are trying d arrive at public opinion on the latter.

A couple of years ago, plans were rawn up for the establishment of a jcondary boarding school at Wau. he estimated high cost of the pre set alarmed Authority sufficiently to ill it off and as an alternative rants were made to parents of scondary school children for educa on in Australia. The grants were lade for one year, but were re swed again for 1952. The cost of ds to the Administration is con derable and growing—but probably ss than the cost of maintaining an ily partly patronised high school the Territory.

If there were a secondary school the Territory it is likely that the ajority of children would still be nt away to school. This is partly scause of the common belief that e local product is never so good the foreign one; partly because of e belief that European children are tter out of a native country dur g their formative years; partly be use of individual families’ associa )ns and traditions. Roman itholic families naturally would efer to have their childdren edu ted at church schools. The high st of present-day school fees has be considered, but in lean times d good, parents have managed to iet them, and presumably would ntinue to do so, if they considered 5 result sufficiently worth while.

There is the other school of Dught, however, that, realising that ce the business of going away to lools begins, the children can well lost to them, would be happy to tronise a local school. Unless )ther leaves father to semi :helorhood and stays South with ! children, parents and children et once a year during the long lidays. The splitting up of nilies would be largely overcome h a local school.

Education of their children is al ys a problem for tropical dwellers. ;t how P-NG is going to solve it not yet clear. Wau, naturally, has

always been in favour of the local school. But away from that area opinion is sharply divided.

The Cumberbatch trophy (a silver cup) awarded by the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators of the

British Empire to Tasman Empire Airways in June was presented on.

September 12, at Londonderry House, London. The presentation was made by Mr. J. Lankaster Parker, master of the Guild, and re~ ceived by Mr. G. N. Roberts,.

General Manager of TEAL.