The news magazine of the South Pacific · since 1930

Pacific Islands Monthly, 1 August 1964Vol. 35, No. 8

Nauruan Questions

pp. 13-147 · Read in the full issue

Busy Canberra Week On Vital P-NG And Nauruan Questions

Prom a Canberra Correspondent The last week in July will probably urn out to be a momentous week or Australian Pacific territories, yet II the activity has been centred in Canberra.

HHIS is the week in which Depart- I. ment of Territories officials have een rushed off their feet in their fforts to get into order the vital Vbrld Bank Report and Education 'ommission Report on P-NG and to onvince the Nauruans that they an’t have sovereignty over Curtis sland, off Queensland.

The capital has been filled with :>p officials—from Washington, from 'ort Moresby and Nauru—all con erring.

Head Chief Hammer Deßoburt is jading a Nauruan delegation to Can erra, which is asking for higher phos hate royalties and for sovereignty ver Curtis Island if the Nauruans love there. They may get the oyalties but they certainly won’t get overeignty. An announcement is due i a few days.

The World Bank Report, which /ill stress that more must be done > improve the economy of the Terri ory and less emphasis placed on ocial development, is causing real roblems, which is why P-NG’s top rass, including both Assistant Admin rtrators, are closely involved in the alks. It should be weeks yet before be report is released.

Decisions on the bank survey may ffect the implementation of the Edu ation Commission’s report.

The main points of the commission’s report are: • A fully autonomous university should be established at Port Moresby near the war-time Ward’s Strip; • An institute of higher technical education be associated with the university; • A preliminary year at the uni versity be devoted to linguistic and mathematic training, logic and cultural subjects; • Admission qualifications be

(Continued on page 141)

teacher at the toman Catholic Mis ion school on Nauru explains a geo graphicai point about he island, which has population of 2,500 and an area of nine quare miles. Photo: Jews and Informa tion Dept.

*d on four years’ secondary school » Existing and future teachers’ ieges be integrated as colleges of university in a school of educa » A faculty of medicine and tistry should include the existing dical College from 1966.

'he commission estimated that iblishment of the university and itute and operating costs of both aid reach £15,700,000 by 1970. fhe first stage of the higher tech al institute should be occupied by i 6, and seven university buildings duding a school of education, ;nce faculty, arts faculty, anthro ogy and territory museum, and a r school should be finished by '2. fhe commission also recommended t an interim council and a prin al should be appointed in 1964-65 the proposed technical training titution. \n engineering course should start 1967.

Fhe Minister for Territories, Mr.

E. Barnes said the Government eed that provision of adequate hnical training was one of the >st urgent needs of the Territory.

Fhe Government was considering ; recommendations so that it could rt construction as early as possible. : said the university provisions iuld be investigated.

The members of the commission, • George Currie (chairman), Dr.

T. Gunther and Professor O. H. K. ate, made 172 recommendations in dr 336-page report, which has been [eased in full.