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8. Almost all Samoans know how to read and write in their own language ; few peoples in non-self-governing territories could boast such a high percentage of literacy. In striking contrast with the high percentage of literacy, however, very few Samoans enjoy more than a lower primary education. Moreover Samoa is almost completely without post-primary schools (see Annex I, Chapter IV B). This forms the subject of numerous complaints. 9. For some years this problem has been of concern to the New Zealand Government, as the Beeby and Parsonage reports bear witness. It is not for the Mission to discuss in detail subjects which should be left to educational experts. Certain matters, however, deserve special mention, because they have a bearing on the political problems, and are related to the aspirations of the Samoans for self-government. 10. It is a fact that Samoans want to learn English. They believe that a knowledge of English is the key to advancemeat. The official decision according to which English was suppressed recently for more than a year from the primary schools —a decision based purely on pedagogical reasons —was interpreted as a measure inspired by the wish to make more difficult and to delay the political emancipation of the people. Fortunately, the Administration has changed that decision. But the problem of securing competent teachers who themselves possess a more adequate knowledge of English is acute. It can be solved only by the further training of the teachers in the use of the English language and in proper methods of teaching it to the children. 11. There is the further fact that the proportion of children of school age in relation to the adult population is extraordinarily high in Samoa. Children under fifteen years of age comprise 45-8 per cent, of the total population, and the actual number who are of school age is increasing with great rapidity. Samoan children living in a simple agricultural environment need an education quite different from that of the ordinary European or American pattern. Nevertheless, to provide Samoa's children with even a simple education based upon living needs of the people will involve considerable expenditure. Here again circumstances point to the necessity of using as far as possible the less expensive local personnel and of continuing co-operation with the missions in educational work. 12. Greater attention must be given to the co-ordination of Government and mission (denominational) schools. The Government maintains one system of schools and each of the five missions has its own separate system of schools. According to the 1947 statistics, the Government schools had an enrolment of 10,868 pupils and the mission schools one of 20,523 pupils. (Some of the pupils enrolled in Government schools were evidently also enrolled in mission schools, as this total exceeds the school population.) These mission schools use in large part their own text-books and follow their own syllabus of instruction.