22
of visual instruction to school children, I have the honour to inform you that my Government does not consider it advisable to incur expense in the direction suggested.
In this State the course of instruction in geography and history in the primary schools is specially designed to impart an adequate knowledge of the several parts of the Empire and their mutual dependence and relations. The teachers are expected to make use of su table pictures to illustrate the lessons in these subjects, and see that the instruction is such as to awaken and strengthen feelings of loyalty and patriotism.
In addition, articles treating of matters of permanent interest to citizens of the Empire, and especially on topics of present moment, appear from time to time in the School Paper, issued monthly, to be read in the middle and higher classes.
I have, &c.,
33688
No. 30.
WINDWARD ISLANDS.
R. TALBOT.
GOVERNOR ŞIR R. B. LLEWELYN to MR. LYTTELTON.
(No. 111.) SIR,
(Received September 19, 1905.)
St. Lucia, September 1, 1905 WITH reference to your circular despatch,* relative to the institution of a course of lectures illustrated by lantern slides, intended primarily for giving to school children in the Colonies a better knowledge of the United Kingdom and other parts of the Empire, I have the honour to inform you that the Colony of Grenada will be glad to join with other West Indian Colonies in rendering the scheme applic- able to West Indian Schools.
2. The Colony of St. Vincent, too, will join if you approve of its share of the expense being defrayed from Public Revenue.
3. I attach a copy of a despatch I received from the late Administrator of St. Lucia, enclosing a copy of a minute from the Inspector of Schools, who suggests that, as the majority of children only know patois, a lecture in English would not be appreciated. If the slides are provided the lecture could be delivered in patois from the lecture prepared in English with the slides, which I think would be prefer- able to the Windward Islands having a separate system.
I have, &c.,
R. B. LLEWELYN,
23
which he explains how he would be willing to organize a series of lectures which would provide for all the essentials of the project recommended by the Secretary of State at a minimum of cost..
I have, &c.,
His Excellency
Sir Robert Baxter Llewelyn, K.C.M.G.,
&c., &c., &c.,
Grenada.
HIS HONOUR,
GEO. MELVILLE,
Administrator.
INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS to ADMINISTRATOR.
I BEG respectfully to submit that the initial cost of £100 mentioned above is out of proportion to any advantage which might accrue from the adoption of the scheme in question. Should His Excellency wish to institute a series of lime-light lectures, with a view to giving the people of this Colony a better knowledge of the United Kingdom and of other parts of the Empire, the matter could, I think, be arranged much more economically. While in Malta, I used frequently to give, both for the University and for the Navy League, lectures illustrated by lime-light views, and I should be very ready to superintend the organization of the lectures and the choice of the slides; the Colony would thus be put to no expense at all, outside that of the lantern and slides, which is, in any case, additional to the £100 mentioned above. Similar arrangements could doubtless be made in the other two Islands. The lantern and slides might be bought jointly, which would still further lessen the expense; arrangements could be made with some good firm, such as Newton, to change the slides for others from time to time. All the essentials of the project, as recommended by the Secretary of State, could thus be preserved at a minimum of cost. Further, the local knowledge of a man on the spot, his knowledge of the intellectual and linguistic condition of the probable audiences, would, I think, to a certain extent compensate for any advantages sacrificed by the non-adoption of the more expensive scheme. Personally, I should be inclined to think, taking into con- sideration the very slight knowledge of English of the majority of the inhabitants of St. Lucia outside Castries, that it would be better to begin here with something less ambitious than organized series of lectures. If a quite cheap lantern could be bought and a supply of cheap slides arranged for, I would take this lantern about to the more important schools, show the children the pictures, and give them an in- formal "talk" rather than lecture about each.
F. C. C.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
ו הך
Reference :-
C.O.885
17 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
(Saint Lucia. No. 41.) SIR,
Enclosure in No. 30. ADMINISTRATOR to GOVERNOR.
Governor.
Government House, June 17, 1905. WITH reference to Your Excellency's minute of the 25th ultimo, forwarding copy of a circular despatch, dated 13th April last, from the Secretary of State, on the subject of giving to the school children of each Colony a better knowledge of the United Kingdom and of other parts of the Empire, I have the honour to inform you that the question of the initial cost of the details of this scheme, as explained in paragraph 5 of the circular despatch under acknowledgement, has been considered by the Education Board of this Government.
2. In view of the very considerable cost of providing only for the proposed lectures, I asked the Inspector of Schools if he could suggest another and less expensive arrangement which would furnish the school children of this Island and the others of the Windward Islands Government with the information suggested.
3. In accordance with this request, I submit, for Your Excellency's favourable consideration, in connection with the proposed lectures-a syllabus of which, is en- closed in the Secretary of State's circular despatch-a minute by Mr. Cordell, in
• No. 2.
June 15, 1905.
33850
No. 31.
NORTHERN NIGERIA.
ACTING HIGH COMMISSIONER WALLACE to MR. LYTTELTON. (Received September 21, 1905.)
(No. 390.)
SIR,
Government House, Zungeru, August 18, 1905. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of your circular despatch of the 13th April last,* and to say that, in the present state of development of Northern Nigeria, it would not be feasible for this Government to avail itself of the educational lectures prepared under the direction of Mr. H. J. Mackinder.
I have, &c.,
• No. 2,
WM. WALLACE, Acting High Commissioner.