Editor: Viv Edwards (University of Reading, UK)
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Volume: 13 Number: 3 Page: 194–206
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Developing a Community-based Vernacular School: A Case Study of the Maiwala Elementary School in Papua New Guinea
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Yasuko Nagai
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In recent years in Papua New Guinea,vernaculareducation has been promoted in order to make school more relevant to the everyday life of the local community. Values of indigenous culture are also recognised
in the curriculum. However, expatriates still have the major role in designing curricula and teaching strategies for the indigenous people. Although indigenous people have been invited from time to time
to contribute their ideas, they have not been the main curriculum developers. This paper presents a breakthrough in the transition from the process of the expatriate-centred approach towards the development
of indigenous education. The indigenous people were encouraged to take an active role in thinking for the establishment of their vernacular elementary school. Through the process of Participatory Action
Research (PAR), they were empowered to express their innovative ideas and to become responsible for their decisions,while an expatriate played the role of facilitator.Asa result,they were able to syncretise
Western values and indigenous values successfully in their school.
© Multilingual Matters 1999
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