Independence Will Not Change The Solomons

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30952, 7 January 1966, Page 2

Independence Will Not Change The Solomons

In about five years’ time Britain will grant independence to the Solomon Islands. Unlike the peoples in many former British colonies, the Solomon Islanders have not asked for independence, but, because the United Nations has decided they should. Britain is now 7 speeding up its preparations to bring independence to the islanders.

Miss Ann Anderson, a Christchurch woman who is a teacher at All Hallows School, Pawa on Ugi Island, said yesterday that she did not think independence would bring many radical changes to the islands. All Hallows School is administered by the Anglican Mission and Miss Anderson is in Christchurch on five months’ furlough after completing five years’ teaching there. She will return early next year. Miss Anderson said the islanders were deeply spiritual and those who had accepted Christianity had done so more completely than many Western peoples. Teacher Shortage Although the Government and the missions are very keen that both boys and girls receive a good education, the adults are not so enthusiastic. Yet the boys and girls themselves are anxious to assimilate all the education they can.

One of the main barriers to this was the shortage of secondary teachers, said Miss Anderson. "Only about 4 per cent of the boys can attend secondary schools and a smaller percentage of girls.” Education means that the young people leave their villages for several years and often do not return, yet they are helping to raise the general standards by working in other parts of the islands as carpenters, clergy, teachers, nurses, and unqualified engineers. Although most of the girls marry’, they do their best to

impart the knowledge and standards they have gained to their people. Miss Anderson says it will be another two generations before illiteracy is eliminated. Although Miss Anderson would like to teach in New Zealand, she will return to Pawa because she says it has the greater need. All Hallows is a boys’ school with a roll of 140. Many of the teachers in boys’ schools are women because of the lack of male teachers. “Even the Government finds it difficult to staff its own schools so that it gives money to the missionary schools,” she said.

' Miss Anderson has a great admiration for her pupils. “They have very good judgment and discard what is not of use to them.