CO885-9 — Page 476

I am, &c.,

J. HARWARD,

Director.

26

26th of August last* on the subject of the steps that are being taken for teaching the rudiments of hygiene in the schools of the tropical Colonies.

2. I referred your despatch for the consideration of the Board of Education, and at its request I am making application to the Governments concerned for copies of the first five publications to which attention is drawn in its 4th paragraph. When these have been received I will ask the Board to consider the question of preparing a text book for use in the schools of the Colony.

3. The Board has also asked to be supplied with copies of the "Outline Scheme for teaching Hygiene and Temperance to the Scholars attending Public Elementary Schools," with the object of requiring it to be offered as a part of the examination of the teachers who will sit for certificates in June next year. Steps are being taken to comply with this request.

4. Leaflets have already been issued by the Board giving instructions with regard to typhoid fever and cassava poisoning, and the girls in some of the schools, from the 4th standard upwards, are taught in domestic economy Readers the rules of health, the benefits of cleanliness and ventilation of their homes, and the kinds of food that they should use.

5. I have noted your request to be furnished with copies of any text books that may be published, and with annual reports as to the progress that has been made in the teaching of hygiene in the schools of this Colony.

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third week. The lectures were most successful; they were treated entirely from the point of view of local circumstances, and were illustrated as far as possible by experi ments, models, real objects, large diagrams, and blackboard drawings. We were for- tunate in securing the aid of some of the ablest lecturers at the Medical College. Some excellent models of springs and wells were constructed for these lectures by the Principal and students of the Training College. I was present at several of the lectures myself and was much struck with the interest taken in the subject and with the intelligent answers given by the teachers. All of the teachers obtained over 50 per cent. on the final examination, and all will be given a certificate which will render them eligible for the bonus attached to this subject.

2. A Sinhalese translation of Mrs. Brander's "Talks on Health" is being pre- pared, and will be issued early in next year. A copy of this will be given to every Government teacher, and he will be expected to study it in order to qualify himself to give intelligent instruction in connection with the sanitary catechism.

3. In order to improve the teaching in Government schools of nature study and hygiene, one Sub-Inspector of Schools has now been relieved of his ordinary duties and devotes his time on circuit entirely to these two subjects and to the improvement of school gardens. The officer selected for this purpose is Mr. H. D. L. Wijesingha, who assisted throughout this year's course of lectures, and whose services will, it is hoped, be available for similar courses in future.

42107

I have, &c.,

G. T. CARTER,

Governor.

42236

No. 9.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

6

Reference :-

0885

9PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

(No. 462.) SIB

No. 8.

CEYLON.

ACTING GOVERNOR ASHMORE to MR. LYTTELTON. (Received November 27, 1905.)

The Queen's House, Colombo, Ceylon, November 8, 1905. WITH reference to your circular despatch of 26th August* on the subject of the teaching of the rudiments of hygiene in the schools of the tropical Colonies, I have the honour to transmit, for your information, the enclosed copy of a letter from the Director of Public Instruction, and to state that the scheme of instruction has now a fair start, and may, it is hoped, have a reasonable measure of success.

SIR,

(No. 352/c.)

I have, &c.,

A. M. ASHMORË,

Lieutenant-Governor, &c.

Enclosure in No. 8.

Office of Public Instruction, Colombo, October 18, 1905.

Sanitary Instruction in Schools. Ceylon.

WгTH reference to your letter, No. 267, of 4th October, I have the honour to inform you that the three weeks' course of lectures, of which the syllabus is given on pages 11 to 13 of the prècis which accompanied the circular despatch of 26th August, was held at the Ceylon Medical College in August, 1905. The course was attended by 29 teachers in Grant-in-Aid Sinhalese Schools. The lectures were delivered by Government Medical Officers. A Sub-Inspector of Schools, Mr. H. D. L. Wijesingha, who has a good knowledge of the subject, was present throughout the course, took the attendance, assisted in all the arrangements, and interpreted the lectures into Sinhalese. He also, with the aid of the lecturers, conducted an oral examination at the end of the first and second weeks, and a written examination at the end of the

• No. 4.

SIR,

SOUTHERN NIGERIA.

ACTING HIGH COMMISSIONER THORBURN to MR. LYTTELTON. (Received November 28, 1905.)

(No. 447.)

[Answered by No. 11.]

Government House, Lagos, November 7, 1905. In reply to your circular of the 26th August last,* I have the honour to inform you that during the past two years instruction in hygiene on the lines of Dr. Collett's book has been given in all the Government and grant-in-aid schools in the Pro- tectorate. The general standard of excellence in this subject is still low, as it is difficult to find native teachers competent to understand and explain it intelligently; but as a knowledge of Dr. Collett's book is prescribed for the pupil teachers' examination, this difficulty will, it is hoped, be gradually overcome.

2. I propose to have Dr. Collett's book translated into the Ibo and Yoruba languages, and to pay a small bonus to the translator. The Principal Medical Officer is prepared to arrange for the delivery of lectures on the rules of health and kindred subjects by medical officers at the Government schools at Bonny, Sapele, Benin City, Agbede, Owo, Opobo, and Warri, and also at the mission schools at Calabar, Brass, Onitsha, and Asaba.

3. In order to make the lectures attractive it would be desirable to illustrate them by lantern slides, and I would ask permission to obtain two lanterns for this purpose--one for use in the Western and Central Divisions and the other for the Calabar, Cross River, and Eastern Divisions--together with a number of slides of nialarial parasites, Filaria and the Acarus Scaber.

4.

I am not aware of the cost of these lanterns and slides, but it will no doubt be easily ascertainable through the Crown Agents, if the scheme is sanctioned.

I have, &c.,

H. THORBURN,

Acting High Commissioner of Southern Nigeria.

• No. 4.

20.93

D 2