New Abc Broadcast

To P-Ng Schools

mHE ABC’s first broadcast to A schools in New Guinea was made on Monday, September 7, from 9PA and the shortwave service at Port Moresby.

The programme—a special edition of “The World We Live In” —was introduced by the New Guinea Director of Education, Mr. Groves, and included a message to New Guinea listeners, and references to the Territory.

This session is one of eleven pro grammes being broadcast weekly during an experimental period. They follow along the same lines as Aus tralian school broadcasts, with music, singing, health talks, stories, and social studies. The last should be particularly helpful, in fostering a spirit of understanding in a mixed community.

All, except “The World We Live In” (recorded on tape in South Australia) were prepared in Queens land.

THE New Guinea school broad casts have two general aims, said the ABC’s Assistant Director of Youth Education, Mr. C. R. Bull, who was in the Territory complet ing arrangements.

The first is to give European chil dren, at school in Port Moresby and other settlements, something of the background familiar to Aus tralian schoolchildren, to prepare them for the secondary education which they will receive on the mainland.

The second is to give children and teachers in native schools more chance of hearing well-spoken Eng lish. Pupils in these schools —at any rate, in the remoter districts — may have had only their native teacher as model, with his possibly imperfect grasp of the language.

There is also the hope that Eng lish may be developed as a common medium of communication, in a country of so many different dialects and languages.

Mr. Bull said that an increasing number of radio receivers are be ing distributed among the native

villages, and the inhabitants listen daily to a session in English, Pidgin, and local dialects. The new school broadcasts are being carried on shortwave across New Guinea, New Britain, and adjacent islands.

He found the New Guinea De partment of Education co-operating with enthusiasm in this extension of the ABC’s educational services.

Students at the training school at Sogeri (in the foothills of the Owen Stanley Range) are imbued with the idea of the value of radio in the far-off village schools to which they will be posted—and which they often have to build and furnish.

An unusual by-path of Mr. Bull’s tour was a visit to the leper and

TB colony, on an island in Port Moresby harbour. It is run by three women missionaries, and two Samoan-trained women, and its in mates are of all ages, and stages of the disease. “Some had never been in contact with white people before,” said Mr. Bull, “but the serene and happy spirit of the place is unique. The boys have even formed a troup of Sea Scouts.”

U Ratu Naulivou Naucabalavu, whose voice is known to Fiji radio listeners by his broadcasts! in the Fijian sessions from ZJV, has relinquished that position after 8 years to take up duty as a clerk in the District Office, Labasa.