CO885-(18-19) — Page 269

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

LHC.O.8

885

18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

i'r para. tion of school- building,

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101. The above salaries will appear extremely low when compared with those at present paid to the clerical staff in this Colony, especially when it is remembered that they have not been called upon to undergo any such academic tests as will be required of those cadets who passed the prescribed curriculum of this School. 102. In the table below are given mínimum salaries in both cases:—

OfEce.

Minimum Salary, with Allowances.

Chief Clerk

£252. No allowances

Assistant Chief ₤201. No allowances

Clerk.

Office.

Minimum Salary with Allowances.

Native

First-class Clerk... £96, No allowances

Assistant

Instructor. Native Instructor

in drafting.

Instructor £250, with

allowance. Native £150, with allowance. £160. No allowances.

£30 ricksha

£30 ricksha

103. Should this scheme meet with the approval of the Secretary of State, there are a few matters which it would seem desirable to consider as soon as possible, after the necessary sanction has been obtained. (a) The re-modelling of the build- ing set apart for the School and equipment of same; (b) proper publicity should be given as to the object, advantages, and obligations of the School; (c) as it is probable that two or three native instructors will be obtained from this Depart- ment, measures should be taken to prepare men to fill the vacancies; and (d) enquiries should be made as to the number of cadets that are likely to avail them- selves of the advantages of the School.

104. It will afford me great pleasure to supply any additional information or assistance which may be considered necessary to the further development of this project.

The Honourable

The Colonial Secretary,

Lagos.

(No. 300/A.)

SIR,

Enclosure 3 in No. 41.

I have, &c.,

E. P. COTTON, Director of Surveys.

Survey Office, Cantonments, Accra, Gold Coast Colony,

February 22, 1907. I HAVE the honour to forward herewith, for the information of the Secretary of State, a scheme for the formation of a native survey school for West Africa in accordance with Colonial Office despatch, No. 494, of 27th November, 1906.

I landed in Lagos on January 20th with my scheme for a school already written out. After consultation with Mr. E. P. Cotton, we came to the conclusion that the best way to render our joint report was for me to hand a copy of my scheme to him, and for him to write a further report, criticising my proposals, and bringing forward fresh ideas of his own.

I received Mr. Cotton's report by the last mail, and it is satisfactory to note that we agree in the necessity for a school, and also in the majority of our proposals. I attach both reports to this letter.

There are, however, several suggestions in Mr. Cotton's scheme with which I disagree. I do not propose to criticise every one of the 104 paragraphs, but to discuss the main points on which we differ.

2. I consider Mr. Cotton's opinion of the native is far too hopeful. From what I saw at Lagos I believe that he has succeeded in training several men in a way that reflects the greatest credit on himself. I am of opinion that the majority of the natives we shall train will become good useful practical surveyors, and that every year or so we may find a man who combines exceptional ability with those moral qualities that, as I have remarked in my report, are essential for a high class surveyor. But I think it would be absolutely fatal to the success of the School to adopt Mr. Cotton's suggestion that the second European instructor is not neces- sary, and to replace him by a native.

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Especially is this the case at the start, when two Europeans are absolutely

necessary.

I do not see the faintest objection to the employment of Mr. Cotton's higlily- trained natives as assistant instructors, but not as principal instructors.

3. Mr. Cotton says the School should be under the local Director of Surveys, or under the joint control of the' Directors of West African Survey Departments.

I emphatically disagree with both.

Not only must the School be absolutely independent, else the cadets will learn the system of the one Colony only, but, for similar reasons, I consider that not only the School but the West African Survey Department must all be under one head.

And no head, except that of a Surveyor-General of West Africa, could be more All West African Survey Depart- suitable than the Colonial Survey Committee. ments must adopt a uniform system of survey, field book-keeping, and forms, other- wise it will be extremely difficult to educate cadets efficiently.

4. Mr. Cotton has gone far more closely than I have done into the details of training (his paragraphs 72-76). I consider his views very sound except on some points.

The first year's course is too academic. Remove from it architectural drawing and the simple geology entirely. Also the teaching of the practical geometry and simple trigonometry ought to be as small as possible, consistent with survey necessities.

I think that prismatic compass surveying (including a slight knowledge of magnetic variation) and clinometer contouring should be added to the first year's course, as a knowledge of these branches is useful to a draughtsman.

In the second year's course, theodolite traverses should be substituted for the last two items, viz., areas and geology, which should be removed to the third year.

5. After my six years' experience as an Instructor at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, I have a rooted dislike to "marks," as leading to cadets cramming knowledge. The essence of a sound education is sympathetic under- standing between master and pupil, and not on the cramming of the latter that the modern iniquitous system of competitive examination has called into being.

Examinations are not in themselves iniquitous. If properly used they afford a fair test of the amount of knowledge a boy has acquired, but not a complete test, for I have known many a Woolwich cadet fail in an examination in some subject in which he was soundly and practically competent.

That is the chief reason why in paragraph 18 of my report I proposed six certificates.

Mr. Cotton, in his paragraph 59, proposes only two.

But there is another reason almost as important. In a Government service. steady promotion of deserving officials, however small, is greatly conducive to efficiency.

In my report (paragraph 20) and Mr. Cotton's report (paragraph 97) are given the lists of appointments for which we respectively propose cadets should be eligible. It will be noticed that my list is longer, and affords more opportunities for a rise.

Hence another advantage of my longer list of certificates, for they enable suitable cadets to be selected for the various appointments.

Further, in connection with this subject, it must be remembered that a cadet may fail in some of the items of the course of instruction, and yet make a very good third class surveyor.

6. In reference to Mr. Cotton's proposals as to the educational requirements of a candidate for a cadetship (vide his paragraphs 69 and 70), I find that our The Government Schools have no standard corresponding to the ex-7th of Lagos. only scholars competent to solve problems in many of Mr. Cotton's suggested subjects, including Euclid, are those who have passed the third teachers' examina- tions.

The question arises, are not Mr. Cotton's requirements too high? Will they not keep out of the School some of those natives who, though not highly educated, are capable of becoming practical rule-of-thumb_surveyors suitable for appoint ments to third class assistants surveyor posts? I have several such men in my native staff who, though not capable of higher survey, are yet most useful men at filling-in work with compass and chain and plane table.

We are dealing with a country which is, and for very many years will continuc to be, in a state of evolution. The native should not be tried too high at first.

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