Indonesian Schools Seek N.Z. Teachers

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27924, 22 March 1956, Page 16

Indonesian Schools Seek N.Z. Teachers

Great interest among New Zealand! students in a volunteer ?radua .e I scheme under which they would go to! i Indonesia for several years, hve ' Indonesian famines, and oe paid a i Indonesian servants, has been found bv Mr A. H. Nasution. head of the foreign aid division of the Indonesian iMinistrv of Education, during a ws>‘ ;tc the Dominion. At the invitation of the Government. Mr Nasution came to New Zealand with the Indonesian Secretary-General for Education iMr M. Hutasoltl The . i visit had been suggested by the Minis-1 'ter of External Affairs IMr T. L. Macdonald! when he visited Indonesia on his way back from a Colombo Plan conference. Mr Hutasoit left Auckland last week for the United States. Mr Nasution. who visited Wellington and Dunedin before coming to Christchurch, said that the short visit had been of importance because of the need to promote good relations between New Zealand and Indonesia. He and Mr Hutasoit had come under the Colombo Plan to seek educational asdistance for Indonesia. On the other hand, there could be a two-way traffic, for Indonesia could send guest lecturers for short periods, a cultural mission, a dancing group, or an exhibition of art.

Special Needs Indonesia wanted especially professors and lecturers in medicine and agriculture, and English teachers, he said. Discussions he had had been verv encouraging. He had visited v ic-i itoria University College, the National; i Library School, and the school for . i graduate nurses in Wellington. In , ’Dunedin he had discussions with i ' heads of departments at Otago Lm-1 • versitv. the Dear of the Medical i School <Sin Charles Hercus>. and the Dean of the Dental School 'Dr. J P Walsh'. Yesterdav he visited Canter-, burv University College and Canter-; burv Agricultural College. Lincoln, i Discussing education in Indonesia. :Mr Nasution said the country had tackled nearly all the problems of Irrimarv school teacher training. The 500 colleges had an output of nearlv 22.000 teachers each year, and all text-books were now in Indonesian. About 9.000.000 children 'of the 15 000.000 between the ages of seven and 13 were attending schools. In 1945 onlv about 2A00.000 attended. “In 1961 we shall introduce compuli sory education, for which pilot compulsory education systems are already in operation in several counties.” he j said. At the seconaarv level, there was a great shortage of teachers, especially English teachers, said Mr Nasution. j and for the universities—-th-ee State I universities and various independent i faculties—the shortage of lecturers and professors was the biggest problem. Generally speaking, there were no books in Indonesian at the university leveL All were in English, and there were 25.000 students with foreign lecturers and professors. lecturing in English. Mr Nasution said that the country was trying to meet its uni versitv : problems by a system of training asI sistant lecturers and professors; by i sending graduates overseas to be ! trained as lecturers: and by trying to attract foreign lecturers. Contrasting the New Zealand and i Indonesian university systems, he said

i that in Indonesia there -»ere ’bachelors' and masters' d°trees. ■ Continental system was still m "The bachelor and master system - i much better because it gives a® round finishing study.” he said “ft. man with a bachelor's degree is fttfu qualified. In Indonesia there is J strong trend to change tn thi« Another impression gained by Nasution in New Zealand was tifct ! there were many college hostefe Indonesia there were some, but they . were not an integral part of the uni. versit ies. Speaking of agricultural oduenjoj, he said that, because 70 per cent nf j Indonesia's population was invnHerf agriculture it was most rmporUnt ! Two agricultural faculties catered research in rice planting and in otb*. tronica! plants such as rubber. i coffee and tobacco However, the ! country could profit from the ba*j. , science s*udies and practical expert ences nf New Zealand agncjtum colleges, especially in the fields cattle breeding and dairying. So fj I dairying was not organised, and nesian villagers were not I minded." “One important aspect of sendia> cur students overseas is that when thry return, they will hold key position and will be the coming leaden m I community." he said. “That ♦hey w® have friends in places like New land will be a great enntrbutjon ? good relations and understands* Mr Nasution. who will leave Christ. ■ church tomorrow for Australia, said i that because of the kindness and gnoi ; will of the New Zealand authorftiei and universities, the first official Infik ! nesian education mission to the Do. i minion had been very successful