Life in Primary School 1

I went to School in Pa’ Main Primary school in 1958.
Life was hard then. We have to walk through jungle track
for 7 miles (about 11 km).There was no boarding facilities.
We have to stay in small huts built by our parents. I remember the various small huts built by the different villages, our hut was next to the Pa’ Lungan childrens’ hut. Infact during my 4 years in Pa’ Main School we ‘moved’ our hut 3 times. This was because it was either too small or was built too far from the longhouse. Moving our hut nearer to the longhouse (Pa’ Main longhouse was burnt down and rebuilt at a new site) was not because we were scared but because we did not have any matches or lighters those days that we ‘get our fire’ from the longhouse. To start our fire we have to get a lighted fire wood from the longhouse and bring it to our hut to start our fire. Starting a fire from this small amber by blowing it continuously until
it could light up a fire was very difficult – you will see stars ! This brings back good memories of two granduncles, Tepu Dara Pad and the late uncle Maran Tulu’s father (I can’t remember his name- can it be Luun Adto) were very kind to us,they would pick the biggest or the most lighted piece of firewood forus to take to our hut. We have to cook our own food. It was mostly plain rice and salt. At times we might have some smoked meat and at weekend when we could go out foraging for wild vegetables we will have our nice meals! At times the two granduncles mentioned above would invite us to go to get some vegetables from their farm (hill padi) which were usually cucumber,spinach and ‘ensabi’ (karid kuru). This reminds me of my days as headmaster in boarding schools before I retired from teaching how spoiled the children are these days - they would not eat
the vegetables,meat or the fish that the school served. The half eaten apples and many hard boiled eggs being thrown away. (That's why my two children used to say their papa is 'ketinggalan zaman' (out of date) when I use to tell them how life was back then).
These small huts were about 12 feet by 10 feet (4m X 3m). There were 7 of us boys when we started in Primary 1 (we were the first group of pupils who completed up year 4 from our village). In later years the girls joint us and at one time we were altogether about 12 of us.