St
Louis High School, Teaoraereke,
South Tarawa, KIRIBATI.
Developing a Home Economics Course in 2009
The
“Island” of Tarawa is in fact a boomerang shaped series of narrow
island atolls linked by a series of causeways. It takes just an hour and a half
to drive the length of Tarawa, while in most places, it takes just a few minutes
to walk the breadth of the atoll. Half of the 85,000 population of Kiribati
live on Tarawa.
St Louis High School, at the south end of Tarawa, had its origins in what was called in 1971, the ‘PST’ or Post School Training. It was a Swiss MSC priest, Fr Louis Joset, who saw the need to have a school for Catholic teenagers who had not been selected by a secondary school. The school underwent a lot of expansion over the ensuing years. By 1984, at the request of Bishop Paul Mea, New Zealand Marist Brothers were in charge, and by 1987 it had more than 400 students. In 1986 the school was registered as a secondary school. And in line with Kiribati Government policy for secondary schools, St Louis is currently a form 4 to 7 school, with a roll of around 600 students.
There are currently 5 Marist Brothers teaching in the
school, one of whom, Brother Siaosi Ioane, is the principal. There are a further
29 I-Kiribati teachers including several sisters (OLSH and SMSM) and one 
Diocesan
priest.
The students come from all over the country, many staying with relatives in Tarawa. For some, the school can sometimes be more of a home than home itself, and students are eager to stay late after school, or come to night and weekend classes to further their chances of passing their exams.
The planned Home Economics Course will offer an alternative to the mainly academic courses now offered. While Home Economics is a part of the National Education System, it is currently not examinable at the KNC (Kiribati National Certificate) level, though it may become so in years to come. The school wishes to offer such a course to encourage students in setting up home based small businesses.
What is NEEDED…
Gas stoves to be use
d
in the cooking classes aspect of the Home Economics Programme. Cooking food
for sale at schools or in the villages is potentially a good income earner for
school leaving students. Cooked food will always have a ready market.
What you can DO…
About $1,300 (AUS – Kiribati uses Australian currency) would provide 1
gas stove and cylinder. It would enable the students to develop the techniques
of planning, purchasing, food preparation, cooking and distribution, as well
as financial management, through the school based programme.
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