They’re “Spiritually And

Education In The Cooks They’re “Spiritually And Culturally Confused"

The challenge of education is the biggest that any South Pacific Terri tory has to face. A particular facet )/ the problem in the Cook Islands s outlined in this extract from a oaper presented in Brisbane in No vember to the South Pacific Com nission’s Education Seminar, by the Director of Education in the Cook Islands, Mr. R. D. McEwan: k MAJOR problem is the heavy CX annual migration to New Zea land labour of many better roung Cook Islands teachers with nitiative, thrift and ambition.

This wastage and the general one vay exodus poses several educa lional problems, perhaps the most lifficult of which is the building up >f a sense of pride of race and love )f country in children and teachers, jonsistent with the ancient and itrong family, with political and ‘conomic ties to New Zealand, and vith the diversity of the scattered sland communities comprising the IJook Island Group.

A committee of Maori and Euro >ean teachers is at work now con jdering a basis from the common Polynesian heritage of the Cook islands for evolving a teacher-train ng and schools syllabus and how o put it into effect.

This part of Polynesia is spiritu illy and culturally confused, with jravely weakened or lost arts and :rafts. With no research staff and tfew Zealand teachers having as yet ittle Islands teaching experience, his is a project in which we shall leed considerable help.

It is, of course, relatively easy to lold teachers to bonded periods of ocal service following training, but hese are short (three years for ocally trained, five years New Zea and trained), and teachers un villingly restrained beyond these >eriods would be of little value.

Deep Rooted Attraction The steady general migration to Zealand also implies that Cook islands teachers and schools must jive the best possible primary train ng to potential New Zealand •esidents, to equip them in some neasure for future social and economic adjustments to their new environment.

The attraction of New Zealand for Dock Islanders is deep-rooted and vide-spread, migration being limited nainly to available transport.

It is a composite indefinable lure flawing the Islanders, as it did their

forefathers, to New Zealand (which is vaguely their metropolis) with opportunities for educational and economic improvement, for rejoin ing earlier family migrants, for travel, for pleasure, and for escape from the limitation of home island environments or irksome customs

or responsibilities.

All Cook Islanders enjoy New Zealand citizenship from birth.

TEAL may increase the frequency of its Auckland-Brisbane flights next winter to extend over a four months period. The results of the 1959 trial service were very satis factory, over 1,350 passengers being carried in 13 return flight with the average aircraft loading at 50 passengers. Maximum load is 55 passengers.