"Significant"
p. 22 · Read in the full issue
Results At Seminar
The leaders of education in the South Pacific Territories met in Brisbane in November at an educa tion seminar that turned out to be “the most significant event in tnc history of education in the Pacific .
THAT was the phrase used afterwards by one of the educationists, and there was every evidence that he wasn’t exaggerating. It was a “workshop” meeting, not open to the Press, at which the educationists arrived at remarkable unanimity after thrash ing out the pros and cons of five vital topics. Their confidential re commendations on them will now go to the six metropolitan powers administering the Pacific Territories, The topics were, how to educate on a limited budget; the problems of teacher training; the problems and technique of language teaching; the use of educational aids; and finally the role of the SPC and ways and means it can implement the things the educationists thought should be done.
By the end of the seminar the delegates were able to draw up a list of final decisions so firm and well defined that most were full of hope that, this once anyway, the Governments would follow those lines.
"A Big Difference"
Said one man, “We all know that decisions made at such meetings as these often get bogged down once they get to the various Govern ments, and a lot of the good work is lost. But we have put our de cisions in such a form that they should appeal to everyone. They are going to make a big difference to my Territory”.
All six Governments had repre sentatives at the seminar and 14 Pacific Territories were represented by their Directors of Education or by senior education officers. The Christian Missions were also there, in what was probably the most in fluential body of professional ex perience that could be brought to gether to discuss the vital problems of education in the Pacific.
Honour For Two
The Governor of NNG, Dr. P. J. Platteel, pinned awards to these two men in Novem ber At right, Dr. J. C. Baarspul, Director of the Department of Internal Affairs, re ceived the Companionship of the Order of the Netherlands Lion. Dr. Baarspul has completed his tour in NNG. Below, Mr.
David George Steiger, manager of the NNG subsidiary of the Mission Aviation Fellow ship, received the Order of Orange-Nassau for his services to aviation.