Commission To Eeport

Eeport On P-NG Education

om an AAP-Reuter Correspondent in Port Moresby commission has been ap

ated to report on the develop

it of higher education in

ma-New Guinea, including the

iblishment of a university.

IE Minister for Territories, Mr.

Hasluck, told a Press conference ; that he hoped the commission ild be able to start its work early VI arch. he commission chairman would Sir George Currie, former Vice mcellor of the University of New land. \embers would be Dr. John Gun *, Papua-New Guinea Assistant ninistrator; and Professor O. H.

Spate, Professor of Geography at Australian National University.

Tie commission will, among other igs, report on: Tie establishment at the earliest cticable date of an institution or itutions to provide education at or r university level; the range of rses, degrees or diplomas to be irded; standards of entry and of duation; facilities likely to be r red in successive stages of the de ipment.

Several Matters )ther matters of inquiry will be: Tie present and prospective num s of students for tertiary educa i; their educational requirements 1 vocational opportunities; rela iship with universities in Australia; relationship of medical, agricul al and teacher-training schools — ;ady established or planned—with r university that might be recom nded for the Territory, n a separate statement Mr. Has k also reported at length on the □lt of a personal tour of educa lal facilities in the Territory. He i his tour had shown him that “at t we are near the breakthrough in ication”.

Tard work and planning over the t decade had resulted in “many irtening signs”.

Pens of thousands of children were w advancing through the schools such a rate that intensive develop

merit and greatly increased financial provision would have to be made in the next five years to keep ahead of their needs.

Mr. Hasluck said the major requirement was still for teachers, and the major bottleneck was still primary education. He added: “For 10 years I have been demanding more and more in primary education and have incurred some criticism outside the Territory for doing so. Events have justified the policy. We will continue it. Without it we would never have gained today’s results.”