Nutshell

• A new pilot science course, text books and materials will be used in 140 Fiji schools and 50 schools in other Islands territories this year.

Some teachers in February attended a three-day course at the University of the South Pacific School of Educa tion to study the new syllabus, which is for Form II pupils. Last year they tried out a pilot science course for Form I pupils. The courses are part of an overall programme to pro duce a completely new secondary education curriculum and examina tion system in the South Pacific (PIM, Feb., p. 59). • A New Zealand army officer is to be appointed commander of the Tongan Defence Force—responsible solely to the Tongan Government.

NZ Prime Minister, Sir Keith Holy oake, also announced in February that NZ was establishing an aid pro gramme set at $lO,OOO a year for three years, to help equip and train the Tongan force. The programme is similar to the military assistance given by NZ to Fiji.

However one of Britain’s leading soldiers in Fiji in February said he felt Fiji would be wasting money if it concentrated too much on defence spending. “All that is needed here is a small military force and a police force for internal security,” General Sir Geoffrey Baker, Chief of General Staff, said. Stopping off in Fiji on a pre-retirement trip visiting army per sonnel round the world, Sir Geoffrey added that there were at present no threats to Fiji’s security and the dominion had no need to enter into defence arrangements with other countries. • Research workers should have to get some kind of official approval before carrying out projects in the territory, Papua-New Guinea Minis terial Member for Health, Mr. Tore Lokoloko, said recently while open ing the Institute of Human Biology in Goroka. At the moment an overseas research worker could step off a plane one day and be collecting vil lage specimens the next. Mr. Loko loko said the official approval should depend on sound planning and such things as the informed consent of the subjects of research, the value of the research to the territory and making results available quickly. He stressed, however, that the control should be positive . . . encouraging, but not inhibiting medical research.

• An automatic telephone and tele graph service will soon be in opera tion on New Britain and Bougain ville. Linked with the mainland of New Guinea, it will also open up direct communications between these two islands and the rest of the world.

The installation of a wideband com munications network, which will make this possible, is being undertaken by Page Communications Engineers Pty.

Ltd. of Sydney. • Karlander Line’s Slidre Timur, 1,395 tons, went aground on Parker Reef, near Mackay, Queensland, on February 25 while on a trip from Sydney to Port Moresby and Samarai.

She was carrying a crew of 24, all of whom were saved. Late February she was reported breaking up. • A Ceylonese who was attacked by an escaped prisoner while employed as estate officer for the Tongan coco nut replanting scheme, has filed a $50,000 claim for damages against the Tongan Government. He was stabbed and beaten with a rifle butt at his home at the government quar ters, Kauvai.

Mr. Fred Withana, 52, had been alone at his quarters last October when the escaped prisoner attacked him. He said that he later drove his car 11 miles to hospital with a frac tured skull, damaged right eye and an arm wound. • Gonorrhoea is on the increase in Fiji. A total of 133 cases were recorded in January, considerably higher than the monthly average, and probably attributable, according to a Medical Department health bulletin, to “uninhibited celebration of the New Year.” • Fiji has pulled off a diplomatic first in London. The registration num ber of the official High Commission car is FIJ 1, but the letters and the number (with the co-operation of the authorities) have been run to gether to appear as FIJI. Fiji is thus the only diplomatic mission in Lon don to have the name of the country on its registration plate. • The Western Samoan Govern ment has officially declared its sup port for a national family planning programme. A family planning ex pert is expected from WHO and the UN has also been asked for assist ance in a five year plan. It comes none too soon; the Samoan rate of population increase is estimated at 4 per cent, and would shoot from 150,000 today to 360,000 in 1991 if nothing was done. A proposed 33 per cent, cut in the “fertility” rate would give a population of 310,000 by 1991.

• King Taufa’ahau of Tonga has come up with a romantic name for the new hotel being built on Vavau by a group of Tongan and Australian businessmen (PIM, Oct., p. 29). It’s the Port of Refuge and recently Prin cess Pilolevu paid a visit to the site for an entertainment. The Tonga Chronicle reported the royal party enjoyed dancing at “go-go” speed and then retired to sleep at Neiafu. • A bill to establish a series of com munes in French Polynesia, each with its own budget and power to handle its own affairs, passed the first read ing stage in the French National As sembly on December 20 by 340 votes to 92. The bill was passed despite strong opposition from the radical majority in French Polynesia’s Terri torial Assembly (PIM, Jan., p. 24).

It must now go to the French Senate for further consideration before be ing returned to the National Assembly for its second reading. • Fiji people with friends and relatives living in California spent several anxious days following the earthquake which shook the San Fer nando Valley in early February. They were much relieved by a message from Mr. Ankur Prasad, who lives in the valley, saying that no Fiji people had been injured in the huge ’quake.

Mr. Prasad said that although many former Fiji residents live in the affected area, none had been hurt.