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Revue 2000 - 2001

HILARY ROOTS (or Cleo)

• BACK TO SCHOOL.

It’s the beginning of the new school year and, as elsewhere in New Caledonia, young Isle of Pines people have picked up their bags in the past couple of weeks and headed back to school.
The island’s population is predominantly young. At least a third is at school.
In the kindergarten school, Notre Dame des Anges (Our Lady of the Angels), where the children start from 3 years old, there are 130 little ones this year.
247 are enrolled in Saint Joseph’s primary school, while 200 students are in College – the lower secondary section of the same school.
About 100 other young Kunies have left the island and their families to continue their Lycée or higher secondary studies in Noumea or elsewhere on the Mainland.
Schooling on Isle of Pines is considerably up-to-date – the primary school in Vao boasts 17 recent-model computers.
Lessons are in French – the second language of these young Melanesians, whose mother tongue is mostly the island’s own Kunie language.
The New Caledonian school year is divided into trimesters. It begins in the latter part of February and closes for the summer holidays in mid-December.

• A FAVOURITE PORT OF CALL FOR AUSTRALIANS

Isle of Pines is one of the popular destinations offered by cruise ships operating out of Sydney, Australia.
Over the past summer season a new ship, the Pacific Princess, has been calling at the island on an average of twice a month, disembarking between 600 and 700 passengers for the day.
The ship, formerly part of Renaissance shipping, now belongs to P&O Cruises. The first six month season, which ends in April, has been judged a success as the company has already announced the ship’s return to New Caledonian waters for the next southern summer season, beginning in November 2003.
For further information email to: information@pocruises.com.au