Recommendations

P-NG Education Advisory Board

Farewell And

The eleventh meeting of thS Papua-New Guinea Education Ada visory Board (July 29-August 1) wca by way of being a farewell to thus retiring Director of Education, M* W. C. Groves.

AT the end of the session, membeir adopted a resolution expressinn “their thanks to Mr. Groves foo his inspiring leadership of th i Board, as its chairman, since its inn ception, and their best wishes ti him and Mrs. Groves for a happq retirement.”

Mr. and Mrs. Groves were guesti; of Board members at a dinner as the Hotel Papua on July 30.

Only one voice seems to have beeie missing from these expressions od goodwill: That of the Minister foo Territories, Mr. Paul Hasluck.

At the tenth meeting of thri Board, at a special session when thri Director was not present, the Boarci adopted a strongly worded resolutioic for transmission to the Minister, ree questing that the services of Mil Groves be retained in a capacity that would enable his special experir ence and qualifications to continuu to be available in connection witll future educational planning, especiic ally on the native side.

It was noted at the eleventh meetft mg, just completed, that no repll had been received from the Minn ister. !t is no secret that, although Mr. Groves has reached retirinin age, the decision that he retire nov* is that of the Minister and not oo Mr. Groves.

The Board has eight members hi addition to the Director of Educac tion, who is chairman. Four of thai members represent the Christian Missions engaged in educationas, work in the Territory, the remainn mg four representing the Adminis-ai tration.

The Mission members are- The Rev. Percy Chatterton, Lon-n don Missionary Society, Pont More, by; The Rev. Fr. J. Dwyens MLG acred Heart Mission, Rabaul Ii The R v, M. Heist, New Guineas Ruthcra i Mission, at Lae; anon Archdeacon B. Roberts, Anglicans Mission, who is Headmaster of then Martyrs Memorial School for nativev h°ys m the Northern District.

The Administration members, ini addition to the Director of Educa-c tion (Mr. W. C. Groves) as chair-ij man, are:—Mr. F. N. Boisen, Dis-ai trict Education Officer for Newvs Britain; Mr. J. K. McCarthy, Actingsn Director of Native Affairs; Miss B.a McLachlan, Officer-in-Charge offo (Continued on page 151)

Education of Women and Girls; and Mr. G. T. Roscoe, Chief of the Division of Native Education.

The functions and membership of the Board are as laid down in the Education Ordinance, which gives it statutory significance, although its work is specifically of an “ad visory” nature.

Matters discussed at the eleventh meeting covered a wide range of subjects but they were influenced

by the fact that the present chair man would be retiring at an early date.

The Board made a strong recom mendation for the setting-up of a special committee —a type of Select Committee —of three persons pre ferably from outside the Territory, but representing Education in the widest possible way, to review in detail the present organisation and operation of education in the Terri tory, with special reference to native education, and with a view to assist ing with future planning.

It was considered that the retire ment of the present Director of Education, and the appointment of his successor (who will almost cer tainly be from outside the Territory) would give special value to such a review at this time—and would be and could be particularly helpful to the new Director in approaching his many-sided job.

Other matters dealt with at the eleventh meeting were the system of registration, recognition and in spection of Mission schools; the existing syllabuses and textbooks in native education —the Board recom mending that these be the subject of a detailed review and that a specially qualified education officer be set aside to carry out this job; the selection of native scholarship students for secondary education in Australia; and the development of secondary education within the

Need for Schools

A very strong recommendation was made by unanimous resolution —following up a similar one made at a previous meeting which had achieved no appreciable result—re garding the urgent need for the pro vision of school buildings, especially in connection with the training of native teachers.

A further recommendation unanim ously adopted for consideration by the Administrator was for the estab lishment of boarding schools for native students at Standard V level—the last year of the Village Higher School course. At this stage those pupils capable of profiting by post-primary and secondary school ing can fairly reliably be selected and wastage avoided.

Having selected these at Standard V level, the Board believes that only by bringing them together into boarding school establishments staffed by well-trained and speci alised teachers, can the best value from post-primary schooling be secured.