SOUTH PACIFIC TERRITORIES

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28371, 2 September 1957, Page 13

SOUTH PACIFIC TERRITORIES

Commission? s Work Praised

ifteu Zeutanu t'ats* nxjrm-lulton > AUCKLAND, September 1. Great benefits were accruing to Pacific territories from the work of the South Pacific Commission, which has its headquarters in Noumea, said Dr.. Richard Seddon. social services officer for the commission, in Auckland yesterday.. A New Zealander, Dr. SeddOn, who is one ’of the commission's three executives, was formerly senior. lecturer in education at Otago University. In services, Dr. Seddon considered three main areas call i for concentrated activity. They 'were:

(1) Improvement in the level of literacy—a particularly difficult task in Melanesia because of the multiplicity of native languages It was now planned to set up centres throughout the Pacific to provide literature. (2) Encouragement of a willingness to assume responsibility. There was tremendous room here for co-operative enterprises among Pacific populations.

(3) Education. There was a distressing shortage of teachers, but much was being achieved especially in Samoa, Fiji, Papua, and New Guinea with radio broadcasts to schools.

New Zealand was doing a magnificent job educationally in her territories and was now producing text books adapted to the various areas.

With improved air links, more New Zealanders were now visiting Noumea, said Dr. Seddon. Dr. Seddon will leave later this week for Fiji.