CO885-9 — Page 540

22850

(No. 87.)

MY LORD,

110

No. 59.

SEYCHELLES.

ADMINISTRATOR WRIGHT to THE EARL OF ELGIN.

(Received June 27, 1907.)

Government House, Seychelles, June 7, 1907. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge your Lordship's circular despatch of the 28th March, 1907,* re teaching hygiene in the schools. The necessary books have not yet arrived in the Colony, but, as soon as they do, the Chief Medical Officer has arranged for a course of lectures. Should slides be necessary, the Colony will be very grateful to avail itself of the offer contained in your circular.

I have, &c.,

23249

No. 60.

E. BLACKWOOD WRIGHT,

Administrator.

GOLD COAST.

GOVERNOR SIR J. P. RODGER to THE EARL OF ELGIN.

(No. 252.) MY LORD,

(Received July 1, 1907.)

Government House, Accra, June 12, 1907. WITH reference to paragraph 4 of your Lordship's circular despatch of the 28th March last,* with enclosures, on the subject of the teaching of hygiene, I have the honour to report that the Acting Director of Education considers that it would be advisable to defer procuring magic lantern slides, for the use of elementary schools in this Colony, pending the establishment of the Training Institution for teachers sanctioned in your Lordship's despatch, No. 187, of the 15th May last.t

2. I would suggest, however, that Mr. Rowden, who is now on leave in England, should be requested to examine and report on the lantern slides in question; as I am personally of opinion that both interesting and instructive slides might be selected, for immediate use in our schools, especially in illustration of such matters of practical hygiene as the difference between pure and impure water.

I have, &c.,

23448

JOHN RODGER,

Governor.

24506

111

No. 62..

HONG KONG.

ACTING GOVERNOR MAY to THE EARL OF ELGIN. (Received July 11, 1907.)

(No. 152.) MY LORD,

Government House, Hong Kong, June 8, 1907. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's circular despatch of the 28th March last* and, with reference to its last paragraph, to refer your Lordship to Sir Matthew Nathan's [my] despatch, No. 103, of the 23rd April, t forwarding and commenting upon a report by the Inspector of Schools on the pro- gress made in the teaching of hygiene in this Colony during the year 1906.

2. With reference to the fourth paragraph of the despatch under reply, it is considered that lantern illustrations of diseases, while adding, no doubt, to the interest taken by the school children in the course of instruction, would be some- what beyond their comprehension. They would, however, be useful in connection with the lectures of the local branch of the Royal Sanitary Institute, and when particulars as to the number and nature of the slides required have been ascertained,

will address your Lordship further on the subject.

I have, &c.,

26687

F. H. MAY,

Officer Administering the Government.

No. 63.

GOLD COAST.

GOVERNOR SIR J. P. RODGER to THE EARL OF ELGIN. (Received July 27, 1907.)

(No. 294.) MY LORD,

Government House, Accra, July 4, 1907. WITH reference to paragraph 5 of your Lordship's circular despatch of the 28th March last,* I have the honour to transmit, herewith, a report by the Acting Director of Education on the progress made in the teaching of hygiene during the year 1906.

I have, &c.,

JOHN RODGER,

Governor.

No. 61.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O.

Reference :-

885

9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE| BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

(No. 91.) MY LORD,

ST. HELENA.

GOVERNOR GALLWEY to THE EARL OF ELGIN.

*

(Received July 2, 1907.)

The Castle, St. Helena, May 27, 1907.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your Lordship's circular despatch of the 28th March last, and in reply to the query contained in paragraph 4 thereof I regret to state that the finances of this Government debar the Colony from indulg- ing in magic lantern slides.

2. Simple hygiene is taught in the Government schools here. I fully recognise the importance of the subject, and have always done.my best to encourage instruc- tion therein.

I have, &c.,

H. L. GALLWEY, Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

• No. 51.

† 15793 not printed.

Enclosure in No. 63.

REPORT on the Teaching of Hygiene in the Gold Coast Colony during the year 1906. 1. Elementary hygiene and sanitation have formed one of the subjects taught in all the Government and assisted schools in the Colony during the past year. The text book in use has been a series of twelve lectures, originally delivered by Dr. M. S. Deacon to the Government School teachers. The results of the teaching have not yet been tested by examination, but at the next annual inspection of the schools, this subject will be taken.

2. Questions, based on Mrs. Deacon's text-book, were set at the examination of teachers for certificates which was held in December last. One hundred marks were assigned to this subject; and, when it is taken into consideration that this was the first time the subject has been taken, the marks obtained by the candidates show a very fair book-knowledge of it.

The questions set,‡ and the marks obtained by the successful candidates are appended.

3. The Board of Education considered the matter at a meeting held on the 13th March, 1907, and it was agreed that, while Mrs. Deacon's lectures should be

‡ Sub-enclosure in No. 50.

§ Not reprinted.

• No. 51.

↑ No. 56.

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112

retained as the text-book in use in the elementary schools, a new and more advanced text-book should be selected for the examination of teachers for certificates, and Dr. Prout's "Elementary lessons on Hygiene and Sanitation, with special reference to the tropics," was chosen. Questions based on this book will, therefore, be set at the examination of teachers in December, 1908. The Board also agreed to the insertion of hygiene among the "obligatory subjects" for which grants are given to the primary schools. The Acting Principal Medical Officer is of opinion that no certificates of having passed Standard VII. should be given to any pupil who has not shown a fair proficiency in this subject.

4. The actual value of the training thus given, as shown in its practical influ- ence on the homes and habits of the natives, will be somewhat difficult to appraise. A long and careful inspection of the schools where the training is given, and of the towns and villages where the schools are situated, as well as study of the domestic habits of the scholars and teachers, will first be necessary. At present it is the opinion of the Acting Principal Medical Officer that the uneducated native is more cleanly than his educated brother, especially Fantis, living in the more artificial conditions of the coast towns. In this connection, it is not without interest to abserve, in the table of marks obtained by candidates for teachers' certificates in the late examination, that the lowest marks were almost invariably gained by teachers or students from Cape Coast. There are many pupils in the schools whose sur- roundings militate strongly against progress in sanitation, especially in cases where one member of a large family has been sent to school by his parents; and it would be most interesting to observe whether any practical advance in sanitary habits can be effected by such a scholar among his relatives.

5. As far as the Medical Department is concerned, instructions were issued to medical officers to teach elementary hygiene to the subordinates, and for some time past instruction has been given in elementary hygiene to dispensers. During the year 1906, six dispensers and one dresser acted as Inspectors of Nuisances, defi- nitely appointed, and they received useful experience in practical sanitation. About six dressers in Ashanti and the Northern Territories also had practical experience. The teaching of elementary hygiene has been made compulsory for dispensers and dressers, and, wherever possible, practical work will be given.

C. H. HART DAVIS,

Acting Director of Education

(No. 62/455.) SIR,

113

Enclosure in No. 64.

Commissioner's Office, Grand Turk, June 22, 1907. WITH reference to the circular, dated 28th March, 1907, of the Secretary of State, I have the honour to reply that the "How to keep Healthy" Rules pre- pared by the Government Medical Officer have been distributed among the public schools of the Dependency.

2. The Inspector of Schools reports that the principles of elementary hygiene were intelligently taught, and well understood by the pupils.

I have, &c.,

The Honourable

The Colonial Secretary,

Jamaica.

27726

No. 65.

SOUTH AFRICA.

F. H. WATKINS,

Commissioner.

HIGH COMMISSIONER THE EARL OF SELBORNE to THE EARL OF ELGIN. (Received August 3, 1907.) (No. 581.)

MY LORD,

High Commissioner's Office, Johannesburg,

July 15, 1907. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your Lordship's circular despatch of March 28th,* relative to the teaching of the rudiments of hygiene in the schools of tropical territories.

2. I enclose copies of despatches from the Acting Administrator of Southern Rhodesia, the Resident Commissioner of the Bechuanaland Protectorate, the Deputy Resident Commissioner of Swaziland, and the Administrator of North-Western Rhodesia on the subject, from which you will observe that the only progress it was found possible to make in this movement during last year in the various territories under my control was in Southern Rhodesia.

3. I shall be glad if your Lordship will furnish me with the information asked for by Sir Thomas Scanlen.

June 28, 1907.

27382

No. 64.

I have, &c.,

SELBORNE,

High Commissioner.

Enclosure 1 in No. 65.

JAMAICA (Turks and CAICOS ISLANDS).

GOVERNOR SIR S. OLIVIER to THE EARL OF ELGIN. (Received August 1, 1907.)

King's House, Jamaica, July 17, 1907.

(No. 405.) MY LORD,

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's circular despatch, dated the 28th March, 1907,* transmitting a précis of reports from Crown Colonies and Protectorates showing the progress made during 1905 in teaching the rudiments of hygiene in schools.

2. I now enclose a copy of a letter from the Commissioner of the Turks and Caicos Islands reporting the distribution among the public schools of the dependency of the pamphlet "How to keep Healthy," copies of which were forwarded to you under cover of Sir Alexander Swettenham's despatch, No. 148, of the 28th March, 1906.†

I have, &c.,

SYDNEY OLIVIER,

Governor.

(High Commissioner. No. 144.) MY LORD,

Administrator's Office, Salisbury, June 6, 1907. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's despatch, No. 14/48, of the 13th May, forwarding a copy of a further despatch from the Secretary of State on the subject of the teaching of tropical hygiene in schools.

In reply I beg to transmit herewith a memorandum on what has been done in this matter in schools in Southern Rhodesia during the year 1906. With regard

to the fourth paragraph of the Secretary of State's despatch, the most useful magic lantern slides in this territory at present would be those illustrating the life history of the mosquito, and its relation to malaria. I should be glad if a list could be furnished of slides dealing with the whole subject of hygiene in order that such a selection as would be suitable to this territory could be made.

His Excellency

The High Commissioner, Johannesburg.

I have, &c.,

THOMAS C. SCANLEN,

Acting Administrator.

• No. 51.

† No. 18.