EDUCATIONAL PROBLEM OF THE PACIFIC

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 257, 24 July 1920, Page 9

EDUCATIONAL PROBLEM OF THE PACIFIC

An interesting paper was read by Mr. W. 6. Gould, M.A., before the Free Discussion Club at Victoria College last night, on "The Educational Problem of tho Pacific." Mr. Gould was. for many years Director of Education 'in tho Friendly Islands, and has spent a great deal of time among tho Polynesian group. Ho dwelt on the fact that the influx of white population had, until the last ten years or so, meant a decrease of native population, instancing Earotonga, where the population now was not more than" 15 per cent, of what it had been originally. Tho wearing of clothes and disease were not the real causes. The trouble was the European with the ideas of amity which took away tho natives' one incentive to labour—that of ytrugglo *-wind the result, was indolence. Tho universal pursuit in tho islands was agriculture, and any forced or artificial labour wns bad. Tho wants of the natives were few, and satisfaction was readily obtained. Education of the natives must proceed along tho line of derivative wants and hither ideals according to their own mode of living. The' transplanting of worn-out 6ystems of New Zealand education was merely absurd. English grammar school systems were, if anything, worse. The New Zealand Gov--ernment, however, deserved_ a certain amount of wdifc for"what it bud done, n»d this the Trade Commission had not given it.