Transmitting Traditional Values in New Schools: Elementary Education of Pulap Atoll

Although formal schooling in Micronesia has fostered change, data from Pulap Atoll indicate how indigenous culture can transform schooling. At the elementary school level, Pulapese have most control over the system, with local teachers and little direct oversight from the central administration. In this setting, many Pulapese values, attitudes, and standards of behavior are transmitted even without conscious attempts. The school creates potential conflict by encouraging both the movement of youth into the modern employment sector and the maintenance of traditional values.