CO885-8 — Page 188

3

417

51357

No. 2.

THE AGENT-GENERAL FOR THE CAPE COLONY to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(No. 129.)

(Received December 13, 1902.)

100, Victoria Street, London, S.W., December 12, 1902.

SIR,

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, No. 49577/1902, of the 11th instant,* on the subject of the possibility and desirability of improving and widening education in the Colonies by means of lectures and lantern slides.

In reply thereto I have to state that, as is probably known to the Secretary of State, the Cape Government have never followed the example of Canada and many of the Australian Colonies in issuing, for gratuitous distribution, hand-books, maps, &c., and though it has always been the practice of this Department to afford enquirers as full information on the subject of the Cape Colony as possible, it has not been in a position, except in a few isolated cases, to supply them with hand-books, photo- graphs, or maps.

Since the establishment of the Imperial Institute, the Curator of the Cape Court has collected a set of lantern slides, illustrating life in the Colony, and these have, on many occasions, been lent to schools and other Educational Institutions.

With regard to your enquiry as to whether any recognized system of visual instruction as to the British Empire is in existence in the Cape Colony, I may say that I am not aware of any such, but that the Colonial Secretary, Cape Town, is being requested to obtain this information from the Superintendent-General of Education.

I am, &c.,

51720

No. 3.

THOS. E. FULLER.

THE AGENT-GENERAL FOR NEW SOUTH WALES to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received December 16, 1902.)

(17323/1902.)

Westminster Chambers, 9, Victoria Street,

Westminster, S.W., December 13, 1902.

SIR,

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. Lucas's letter, No. 49577/1902, dated the 11th instant, and, in reply, to state that I have a varied assortment of lantern slides (supplied to me by my Government) illustrating life in New South Wales, scenery, fauna, aboriginals, &c., &c.

Collections, usually consisting of fifty slides, are loaned out, on application, to teachers of day and evening continuation schools, School Boards, and County Councils (for the use of their Technical Education Committees, &c.) for lecturing purposes in

year. this country; the slides being in great demand during the winter months of the

The Government of New South Wales do not employ the services of lecturers here, nor have I any specially prepared lectures for issue; though, in the latter connexion, the pamphlets of general information issued from this office are invariably supplied to borrowers of slides, to enable them to cull any particulars which might be of service when displaying the slides.

י.

With regard to the question as to whether in the schools of New South Wales there is, so far as I am aware, any recognised system of visual instruction as to thẹ United Kingdom and the British Empire generally, I beg to state that lectures, illustrated by lantern slides, are occasionally given in the State schools of New South Wales by returned travellers, but no system of instruction by such means is embodied in the regular course of tuition there.

I have, &c., ‚‚m I.

HENRY COPELAND.

51721

No. 4.

THE AGENT-GENERAL FOR NEW ZEALAND to COLONIAL OFFICE.

SIR,

(Received December 16, 1902.) Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street,

London, S.W., December 15, 1902.

I AM directed by the Agent-Generat to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, No. 49577/1902, of the 11th instant,* and, in reply, to inform you that the geography and history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire generally, are amongst the prominent subjects which are taught in the public schools of New Zealand; in fact, it is held by some that too much attention is paid to these subjects.

The Agent-General is not aware that there is any system in New Zealand under which lectures (illustrated by lantern slides) are given in connection with the public schools in that Colony.

I may mention here, however, that in order to create an intelligent interest in the progress and welfare of the Empire, the New Zealand Government supply the public schools with the New Zealand ensign, and with each flag is sent an illustrated description of the Union Jack and its story. About 1,150 flags have been distributed in this way, including 86 to native (Maori) schools. The hoisting of the flag is made the occasion of suitable addresses to the children attending the schools.

With regard to the diffusion of information with respect to New Zealand, I beg to state that publications relating to that Colony, together with maps, are supplied, free of cost, to any schools in this country, applying to this office. Sets of slides of the scenery, industries, &c., of the Colony are also supplied on loan to any person giving lectures at any school, and a descriptive memorandum (copy herewitht) is forwarded with them.

I may add that applications for information and for slides are increasingly numerous from teachers and others connected with the public schools of this country.

I am, &c.,

WALTER KENNAWAY.

51974

SIR,

No. 5.

THE AGENT-GENERAL FOR VICTORIA to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received December 18, 1902.) (No. 10515.)

Victoria Office, 142, Queen Victoria Street,

London, E.C., December 15, 1902.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 11th instant, informing me that a small Committee is being formed to consider the possibility and desirability of improving and widening education in the Crown Colonies by means of lectures and lantern slides illustrating life and industry in the mother country, and asking for information on the subject of similar work carried out in Victoria which would be of guidance to the Committee. In reply, I have to inform you that, for some years past, this Department has placed at the disposal of the public, lantern slides, with literature, relating to Victoria free of cost, and that large numbers of school teachers have availed themselves of the offer.

I am not in a position to state whether in the schools of Victoria there is any recognised system of visual instruction as to the United Kingdom and the British Empire, but on this point I will be happy to communicate with my Government and advise you further at a later date,

I have, &c.,

ALFRED DOBSON,

Acting Agent-General.

• No. 1.

• No. 1.

↑ Not printed.

A 3

13373

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TT C.O. 885

8

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-—NOT TO