CO885-9 — Page 465

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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and the cost. The total cost of these lectures has amounted to £74 4s. 7d. The cost will be much less on future occasions. A scheme for the general teaching of hygiene is now under consideration. The great difficulty, however, will be the obtaining of suitable teachers, and it appears to Dr. Prout that the work will have, for some time to come, to be undertaken by himself and his assistants. This, however, will be remedied in time and there is ground for hoping that there will shortly be a supply of teachers which will allow of the teaching of simple principles of hygiene in the elementary schools. The value of sanitary reform is much diminished unless the intelligent co-operation of the community is first obtained and the education of the natives should proceed pari passu with all schemes of general sanitation. Dr. Prout concludes by stating that the results up to the present are extremely en- couraging and such as lead him to hope that, with the active assistance of the people of Freetown, sanitary progress will be more rapid than it has been in the past.

GOLD COAST.

The Governor transmits copies of a series of lectures prepared by the Health Officer of the Crown and revised by the Acting Principal Medical Officer for use in the Government schools of the Colony.

NORTHERN NIGERIA.

There are at present no Government schools in the Protectorate. The High Commissioner has referred to the Principal Medical Officer as to whether in his opinion it would be feasible to start a class of instruction in hygiene at Lokoja and Zungeru for native clerks and other English-speaking persons, who almost without exception are not natives of this Protectorate.

These classes, if found feasible, would be attended by two schoolmasters attached to each infantry battalion who in turn might impart the instruction therein required to their few pupils. The Principal Medical Officer considers that elementary courses of instruction are quite feasible and they will be commenced accordingly. The High Commissioner adds that he takes a great interest in this question of instruction in sanitation and that in any scheme of education which he may be able, with the Secretary of State's approval, to inaugurate, he will not fail to make it a part of the curriculum of instruction.

SOUTHERN NIGERIA.

In December, 1902, Sir Ralph Moor suggested that a small treatise should be drawn up for use in the schools and that the District Medical Officers should give occasional lectures in the schools in their respective districts on the subject of hygiene. In accordance with this arrangement a treatise, which was regarded by the Principal Medical Officer as well calculated to attain the object in view, was prepared by Dr. J. W. Collett and printed by the Crown Agents.

BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA.

The Commissioner forwarded a copy of a letter from Dr. Hetherwick, the head of the Church of Scotland Mission, Blantyre, from which it appeared that the latter considered that it would be a feasible matter to introduce the subject of sanitation into the Mission School of the Protectorate. Dr. Hetherwick asked to be supplied with certain publications, and a copy of a short treatise on malaria by Dr. Dixon, Medical Officer in Trinidad, was sent to the Commissioner, who was informed that if this publication was considered suitable more copies could be obtained from the Crown Agents for the Colonies.

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BRITISH NEw Guinea.

It is doubtful whether education is as yet sufficiently advanced to render lessons in the courses of tropical diseases a practical possibility, with the exception of one small school at Samarai, which is supported by local public subscription and a small grant from Government. There are no schools for the education of European children. The education of native children is wholly in the hands of the mission bodies, and its character is, the Administrator fears, of almost too rudimentary a nature to include teaching of the kind advocated. In the event, however, of a handbook or primer being published, the Administrator would be glad to receive a few copies, as, realizing fully the importance of the subject, he would use every endeavour to induce the mission bodies to include the simpler portions of it among the subjects taught.

MEDITERRANEAN.

MALTA.

The Governor states that although Malta is not a tropical Colony, and tropical hygiene is therefore not of such importance there as it may be elsewhere, he fully recognises the desirability of giving the children attending the elementary schools some instruction in sanitation. He points out, however, that before attempting to educate the school children, teachers must first be instructed, and says that, with this object, lectures will be given which will be prepared in a popular and attractive form, illustrated with lantern slides. As a first step a suitable textbook or primer will have to be prepared, and the Senior Medical Officer of Health, Public Health Department, has willingly undertaken this task. The textbook will be in Maltese and English, placed in juxtaposition. It will be printed at the Government Press, and offered for sale at a small price.

Subject to the approval of the Secretary of State, he proposes to offer a bonus of £25 to Dr. Scicluma, who will prepare the Maltese text, and £10 to the translator, on the understanding that they will relinquish in favour of the Government all their rights in connection with the sale of the book.

CYPRUS.

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The Government have no means at present of securing any proper course instruction being adopted in the schools, but from an early stage of his administra- tion the late High Commissioner endeavoured to induce the school authorities to use proper books of instruction in the elementary schools. He found that political differences and racial difficulties made it desirable to prepare proper school books for use in the Island on various secular subjects, such as geography, history, and arithmetic. He had also a handbook written on the subject of sanitation. various differences alluded to have, however, prevented the work of preparing such school books being carried further than the preparation of a book on arithmetic. The late Commissioner considers that teachers and school children could most use- fully be given instruction in the rudiments of hygiene, and that it ought to be given. But it is necessary first for the Government to have some control over the instruction given in the schools receiving grants from the public revenues. Instruction in elementary hygiene is given at the Turkish School maintained by the Government, and instruction on the subject is also given at the Greek Gymnasium at Nicosia.

PACIFIC.

FIJI.

The late Governor is of the opinion that neither the educational system of the Colony nor the natives themselves are yet sufficiently advanced to admit of instruc- tions in the rudiments of hygiene being usefully attempted.

WEST INDIES.

BAHAMAS.

Nothing is done at present in the way of communicating instruction in hygiene to school children, but the matter has been referred to the Board of Education and the Governor has been informed that if a concise and simple textbook became avail- -able it would be deemed advisable to introduce it into the schools.