Problems Arising
pp. 75-76 · Read in the full issue
G & E Education
Problems Arising From Lack of English
THE Education Report for the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony for 1953 (just now available) shows a year of considerable activity ,in the educational field following a period of little progress in the post-war years.
Educational problems are considerable in this widely deployed Colony which extends from the northern Gilberts south-east to the Phoenix, and east to Fanning Island.
- Christfafmission
of the three Christian mission organ- Isations, which the Government sub sidise and encourage in educational work.
At the end of 1953, the 12 Goveminent schools were handling 722 pupils; the London Missionary Society, 4,392; the Catholic Sacred Heart Mission, 3,088; and the Seventh Day Adventist Mission. which came to the Gilberts in 1950, 165 pupils.
These figures are exclusive of religious trainees in some special mission schools. The two principal
missions received a total of about £1,700 in subsidies for their 253 schools. That amount was to be increased by £l,OOO in the following year. In 1953, the Seventh Day Adventists mission was not re ceiving any subsidy for its 5 schools.
Total government expenditure on education in 1953 was about £14,700, as compared with £12,300 in the previous year.
During the year, the staff and pupils of the Government Tem porary School at Abemama were transferred to Bikenibeu, Tarawa, to the new but still incomplete King George V School, which had a roll of 109 by December, including boys brought in from the Elisefou school on Vaitupu, which was -also closed.
From this new boarding school pupils reaching the New Zealand School Certificate level will be selected for further overseas educa tion.
Educational standards in all schools continued to be limited by an acute shortage of trained staff.
The new curriculum for Govern ment primary schools came into operation at the beginning of the year and it was expected that it would also serve as a guide to mission schools where suitably trained staff was available to apply it. Heavy empahsis is being placed on the teaching of English in the higher classes.
The new King George V School will do away with the necessity of sending higher-grade students to Fiji, and none have been sent since 1948, when results of the Colonial Development financed scheme were disappointing. Of the 92 students Sent to Fiji not one reach ed Uni verslty Entrance Standard, only one passed Sch ° ol Certificate. Only two
others reached third-year secondary standard in New Zealand.
A large percentage were returned to the Colony as unsuitable, without even completing their primary education. Lack of English appears to have been the main stumbling block.
This has applied also to boys training under the British Phos phate Commissioners’ Apprentice ship Plan for tradesmen. Great aptitude is shown in the practical work but on the theoretical side progress is slow. This problem should be eased with the full estab lishment of the King George V School. The first Colony students to complete a full teacher-training course returned from New Zealand to join the school’s staff late in 1953.
During the year, new government schools were opened at Vaitupu, Niutao, Gardner, Fanning, and at Tarawa. The Catholic mission also opened a new boarding school at Tarawa. These schools were mainly of the so-called “Island” type, under partly trained teachers, and provide superior primary education to that available in the average village school.
The report says that education is seriously hampered by an acute lack of educational text books in the vernacular.