Education for the Rotokas People

120 10 Education, Medicine, and Language

10.1 Government and Mission Involvement in Education

In his study of Bougainville-Buka, Oliver gives a picture of the government’s and missions’ early involvement. He states the following: The Christian missions supplied their indigenous members with some medical aid, but most health services such as they were, were provided by the administration. Each district had its government hospital, but these were able to serve only a very small proportion of the indigenes requiring medical care. In addition, European medical officers made periodic, usually annual, tours of outlying areas, but were able to attend to only the most obvious, and current, afflictions. As for all the other maladies which shortened and made painful the lives of the Territory’s indigenes, little preventive or therapeutic measures could be underataken by an administration having so few medical or public health resources at its commmand. An even drearier picture is presented by the administration’s education programme, if it can be so dignified. Only six government-operated schools for indigenes were in operation four on New Britain, one on New Ireland, and one on the mainland, comprising in 1940-1 a total of 466 pupils of an estimated total population of 800,000. In fact, the administration, with its limited resources, seemed more than content to leave schooling in the hands of the missions—an arrangement with which the latter evidently agreed. Some 70,000 pupils were enrolled in mission schools during 1940-1, but the impressiveness of this number must be deflated somewhat, since most of these pupils were in subprimary village schools where instruction was rudimentary and casual to say the least Oliver 1973:97. The formal schooling now provided for most young Bougainvillians represents a wholly new facet of indigenous life. In pre-European days the nearest approach to such schooling took place in those tribes of northern Bougainville whose youths underwent initiation rites. During the months or years over which these rites extended, the [Upe] initiates received instruction from older men in several aspects of tribal life, including ethics and esoteric lore. Elsewhere, of course, children and young people were also educated, but more by individual precept and example than organized instruction Oliver 1973:198. The administration’s post-war efforts to improve the education of Bougainvillians began by granting subsidies to mission schools in return for some control over the curriculum and, later on, over the qualifications of teachers. It was not until the sixties that government high schools as such began to be set up, the first at Hutjena in 1964, the second at Buin Town in 1968, and the third at Arawa in 1972 Oliver 1973:149–150. The challenge of adequately educating the children of Bougainville-Buka has yet to be fully met. Today, according to Graeme Kemmelfield in a personal communication, working with the Department of Education, eleven hundred children on the average finish grade 6 each year without hope of going on to high school. Grade 8 leavers add to the numbers of those not continuing their formal education.

10.2 Education for the Rotokas People

It was during the period of time when village schools were run mainly by missions that we came to the Rotokas area. Over the years, the development of staff, facilities, and control by the government was observed. Voko school, located near Ruruvu village and serving Sisivi, Ruruvu, Togarao, and Ibu villages besides numerous hamlets, was most familiar to us. Our acquaintances included the teaching staff, both government and United Church teachers. 121 Rural classroom scene—1967 On several different occasions, visitors have commented on the apparent above-average intelligence of Rotokas men and women, in general. When Conrad Hurd SIL made the initial language survey in 1963, he wrote in his report that the young men of the villages had been some of the most alert and intelligent of the Bougainville-Buka people that he had contacted during his survey of the island languages. After the Togarao airstrip had been used many times by Harold Morton MAF pilot, he commented that the men of the village were sharp in their handling of produce sales involving weighing and figuring prices. A Department of Civil Aviation surveyor, while working with village men to permanently locate the boundaries of the airstrip, commented to me that these men were “exceptional” for their alertness among the men he had worked with on Bougainville. A nursing sister from Kekesu United Church station on the coast claimed that the Rotokas Aid Post attendant Pukopuko is among the best in the area with which she is familiar. This man is the brother of David A., a former United Church teacher and our co-worker. We have always considered him also as having well above average intelligence. Despite the positive impression one gets from the adult population as noted above, the statistics for the younger people show that the Rotokas area has a very low academic record. A Catholic priest once said that the children display very little enthusiasm towards school work. Few young people to our knowledge have gone on to High Schools on the island, and even fewer have gone to tertiary schools on the mainland. Joseph E. of Pipipaia village is one young man who has spent a number of years in Catholic schools. He was attending the Holy Spirit Seminary in Bomana near Port Moresby when we first met him. Joseph left the seminary to become involved in a Provincial Youth Program and also to be on the staff of Father John Momis, Member from Bougainville of the national House of Assembly MHA. We do not know if Joseph will complete his seminary training or not. Samson A. A. completed his High School training at Hutjena on Buka Island and his National High School training at Aiyura on the mainland. He was hired by Bougainville Copper Limited BCL for work in their laboratory. They were sufficiently impressed with his work to send him to the University of Technology in Lae to be trained in photography, among other skills. One other young man from the Aita area attended the Christian Leadership Training College near Banz WHP, but we did not know him very well. Certainly, there are others who have trained as teachers, agricultural officers, health workers, secretaries, etc. Not many have been known for their formal academic accomplishments, however. The Tok Ples Skul program of the North Solomons Province has been scheduled for the Rotokas area. In this program, children are taught basic skills in their own language first. Some beginning reading materials have been prepared SIL and assistance in teaching reading skills to preschoolers is available. It has been a disappointment that young men and women who are qualified to participate in this program as teachers have not availed themselves of the training. A Writer’s Course was held in 1982 by members of the SIL staff in conjunction with our own program among the Rotokas. Several Rotokas men and women completed the course. Their training involved storywriting and editing in their own language. They also learned the technique of printing with silk screens and of booklet production. It is yet to be seen whether or not this training will be used. 122 10.3 Medicine 10.3.1 Medical care—facilities