1966 – education's year of sympathy & stability

LOCH BLATCHFORD continues to weave the history of PNG education from the voluminous files of the Blatchford Collection

1966 is a year of top level appointments which provide sympathy and stability for education. Donald Cleland retires as Administrator and is replaced by David Hay. John Gunther, rejected for Secretary of the Department of Territories, resigns and is appointed Vice Chancellor of UPNG. Les Johnson replaces Gunther as Assistant Administrator.

Ken McKinnon, after resistance from George Warwick Smith, replaces Johnson as Director of Education - even though Don Owner is acting Director for most of the year. Matthias Toliman fills the newly created position of Under-Secretary for the Department of Education. William Duncanson, formerly Professor of Physics at the Indian Institute of Technology is appointed Director of the PNG Institute of Technology, which has its site moved from Port Moresby to Lae.

1966 is a year of planning. Other departments are becoming interested in the direction of education. Johnson goes overseas to study planning. A five-year plan is produced by May, but Treasurer APJ Newman and the Economic Adviser (Bill McCasker) are not satisfied. They want the Department to conduct a policy review.

Johnson, now Assistant Administrator, agrees. Views are widely canvassed and the country’s first census, held in June-July provides useful information for planning efforts.

The cost of education is paramount. The House of Assembly suggests introducing school fees, cheaper school construction and axing secondary education allowances. Government loans to missions is replaced by a subsidy. A UN loan of £1.5 million is obtained to construct Goroka Teachers' College.

Emphasis is also placed on improving the quality of education. Course content is revised to make it more relevant to the Territory. The secondary Science and Mathematics syllabi are modified. In technical education, the syllabus for technical schools is revised. A new Mathematics syllabus is planned for primary and a revision of the primary syllabus is ready for the printer.

Measures are introduced to raise teacher status and standards. Secondary teacher training is linked to the university and teacher exchange schemes are undertaken. Attempts are made to upgrade A and B course trained teachers to C course level through correspondence courses. 700 apprentices undertake correspondence tuition.

Fifty-seven students enrol in the preliminary year of UPNG and it is anticipated the majority will enter the first year of formal degree studies in 1967.

Localisation and preparation for independence continue. Five indigenous inspectors of schools are appointed – Alkan Tololo, Tau Boga, Kwamala Kalo, Paulias Matane and Mata Tau. Senior Officers Courses are increased and a one year Senior Officer Preparation course is introduced.

The House of Assembly is expanded and given some control over internal expenditure. The Constitutional Planning Committee increases the number of open electorates from 44 to 69 and special from 10 to 15.

To reassure permanent overseas officers they are not to be treated unfairly during this process, an Employment Security Scheme is announced. It will help replaced officers find other employment or provide them with reasonable compensation.

The complete abstracts of the Blatchford Collection 1966 are now published on Attitude Extra

Comments

[Term Papers]

Very nice write up. Easy to understand and straight to the point.

[Term Papers]

It's always nice when you can not only be informed, but also seek something new!