CULTURAL EXCHANGE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION IN NAURU

Nauru is a small, isolated, raised coral atoll. The physical environment is one of relatively poor soil, no surface water, constant heat and humidity and unreliable rainfall — a precarious environment indeed for a human society. It is likely that the first settlement of Nauru was accidental, rather than a progressive movement from Island to Island, as appears to have been the case, southwards, through Kiribati and Tuvalu. It could therefore be expected that until quite recently, the people of Nauru did not necessarily perceive themselves as part of the global society. There was no significant interdependence necessary for daily survival, and contact with other nations was extremely limited. In fact, cultural exchange is a very recent feature of Nauruan life. Pre-contact Nauruan culture was rich and there was a high degree of social organization which enabled the people of the small island to sur-vive, to exist in harmony with their environment and to lead fulfilling lives. However, with the arrival of the white man, the discovery o