INDONESIANS ADMIRE N.Z. DENTAL SYSTEM
Two Indonesian Colombo Plan visitors left Christchurch yesterday with several new ideas to put into practice when they get home. They are Drs. I. T. Goei and S. K. Oei. who have spent the last fortnight observing the dental services in Christchurch under the Health Department, especially the children’s dental clinic and school for dental nurses.
"We shall certainly change our system of teaching at the Djakarta School for Dental Nursing.” said Dr. Goei. who is deputy-director of the school. "The Christchurch school’s system is much easier for the girls.” Dr, Oei had some ideas to try out in his work as principal field dental officer to the Health Denartment in Sourabaya. The visitors will spend some time in Dunedin, mainly at the Otago Dental School, before returning to Indonesia. On the way down they will call at the Hermitage, Mcunt Cook, to see snow. "We’ve only heard what snow looks like, and have never seen any.” said Dr. Goei.
Both thought the Colombo Plan system of exchanging people between relatively developed and undeveloped countries was excellent. Paying visits to places such as New Zealand would help his country to avoid the errors made by more developed '•ountries in earlier days. Dr. Oei said. The loan of teachers and instructors by the more developed to the less developed countries was also a great help. There were a number of people from overseas, especially Americans, in Indonesian universities and other institutions.
These instructors nearly always taught in English, Dr. Goei said. English was generally understood because it had been a compulsory subject at Indonesian high
schools right back into Dutch colonial days. Most university textbooks were in English. Dr. Oei, however, thought it would be an advantage to people going to teach in Indonesia if they learned something of the language before they went.
"Indonesian must be an easier language to learn than English.” said Dr. Oei. "When a New Zealand teacher was asked not long ago to teach an Indonesian Colombo Plan student to speak English, the New Zealander knew more Indonesian than the Indonesian did English after a little while.” Dr Goei and Dr Oei are both graduates of the Airlangga University at Sourabaya. They graduated during Dutch rule, when their university had the only dental faculty in the country. Now there are four university dental faculties, and another will be started next year.
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Press, Volume C, Issue 29500, 29 April 1961, Page 12
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400INDONESIANS ADMIRE N.Z. DENTAL SYSTEM Press, Volume C, Issue 29500, 29 April 1961, Page 12
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