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(d) Indigenous African Art. (27th Minutes,* Item 7, and previous refer- ences.) Further progress had been made in the preparation of material for the book on African Art. It had already been reported that the Inter- national Institute of African Languages and Cultures was prepared to meet the expense of printing and publication. Further assistance had now been promised by the Empire Marketing Board, which was prepared to meet the charges incurred in photography, and also to supply expert photo- graphic assistance. Mr. Grierson, of the Empire Marketing Board, had been most helpful with advice. Sir William Rothenstein, Mr. Ainsworth, Mr. Stevens, and Mr. Carline were also assisting.
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(e) British Commonwealth Education Conference.This Conference, organized by the New Education Fellowship, was being held from 23rd July to 30th July at Bedford College, London. Sir Percy Nunn, who was President of the Conference, was to speak on an Imperial Institute for Education"; Mr. Ormsby Gore on "Problems of Tropical Education," with Major Church in the Chair; and Mr. Rivers-Smith and Mrs. MacGregor Rose were also to speak at a meeting with Miss Burstall in the Chair. Further information could be obtained from the New Education Fellowship, 1, Tavistock Square, W.C.1. Arrangements were being mate for the display of copies of Oversea Education.
(f) Education functions of local authorities.-(cf. 25th Minutes, † Item 4) Progress was being made by the Sub-Committee in investigating questions connected with the delegation of educational powers to local authorities. The Sub-Committee had interviewed Mr. IIussey (Director of Education in Nigeria), Mr. Lacey (Director of Education in Nyasaland), and Mr. Wakeman, of the Colonial Medical Service, Nigeria. It had been arranged to have interviews in August and September with Mr. Mitchell, Secretary for Native Affairs, Tanganyika; Major Harman, Director of Education, Gold Coast; Mr. Latham, retired Director of Education, Northern Rhodesia; and Mr. Rivers-Smith, the retiring Director of Education in Tanganyika.
(g) The International Committee on Christian Literature for Africa proposed to publish, with the financial support of the American Committee on Christian Literature, a magazine for village people and school children in Africa. The first number would appear in January next and there would be six issues in the year. It was intended to provide those who knew the languages used by the Governments with materials for school and home reading, and editors of vernacular magazines would be allowed to use any matter that appeared in it. Each issue would contain a religious article, an article for the village teacher, an article for women, as well as information on hygiene and the world outside Africa, and folk-lore or stories. The published price per copy would be one penny. Permission had been given for use to be made of extracts from Orersea Education in this magazine.
(ii) MR. POYNTON reported the following
(a) Educational Commission to the West Indies. Some time ago Trinidad, now a participating Colony in the upkeep of the Committee, and Barbados had expressed a wish that a member of the Advisory Committee should pay a visit in order to advise them on local educational matters. It had now been arranged, with the permission of the Chairman of the Committee and the approval of the Secretary of State, that Mr. Mayhew should visit Trinidad, Barbados, and such other islands of the West Indies as had expressed a desire for advice and were ready and able to participate in the expense of the tour. Mr. Marriott, Director of Education, Trinidad, would be associated with him. It was possible that Mr. Mayhew might also pay a short visit to British Guiana. He would probably be absent from about the beginning of November to the end of January on this business. (b) Mr. Vernon, of the Colonial Office, who had promised to be present and say a few words about the Conference at Geneva on African Child Welfare had been unavoidably compelled to take the chair at another meeting.
See page
↑ See page
in Miscellaneous No. 397.
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4. Education of African Women.-(A.C.E.C. 9/31.) (Discussion resumed from 27th Meeting Minutes, Item 4.) THE CHAIRMAN drew attention to the draft Resolu- tion regarding Group IV of the School Certificate, copies of which were laid on the table. This Resolution, drawn up by Sir Michael Sadler and Miss Burstall, read as follows:-
In view of the use of the School Certificate in schools overseas for non- European pupils, and of the increasing need and demand for qualified English women as teachers and inspectors in tropical Colonies where music, crafts, and the arts of home life are important or even essential elements of the curriculum, the Advisory Committee on Education in the Colonies recommends that the attention of the University Examination Boards. and of the Secondary Schools Examination Council be drawn to the desirability of recognizing a pass in Group IV (which includes the subjects above mentioned) as equivalent to a pass in Group II (languages) or Group III (Sciences) to secure the School Certificate."
MISS BURSTALL said that the memorandum had been written for the Committee, and it would have to be redrafted before it could have a wider circulation. The opinion of the Colonial Governments was required on the first part of the memorandum, while the second part dealing with Personnel would naturally have to be considered by the Colonial Office.
MISS BURSTALL further said that she had come to the conclusion that there thould be a section on the education of Mohammedan girls. Mr. Matthew had wonder- ful materials in the Sudan and Miss Fegan in Nigeria might help.
Both she and Miss Whitelaw felt that in drawing up regulations for the appoint- ment of women for Government posts abroad the Colonial Office should seek the advice of educational women in this country. A woman should also be on the Appoint- ments Board when it was formed. There should also be a woman with executive powers in each Colony and at some future time there should be a woman expert in the Colonial Office. A good deal more might be done by bringing African girls over to this country and giving them a good education in teaching or medicine in order that they might act as bridges between this country and African women. They would in this way receive something of the best of our civilization and then go back with it to their own people.
MR. MANN, in replying to a question by the Chairman regarding the draft Resolu- tion, said that the Board of Education was not particularly concerned, but that the Resolution on general grounds seemed very desirable. The same attitude was being taken in some educational circles. The Examination authorities in this country were independent of the Board of Education, though there was a co-ordinating committee. He considered, however, that the Board of Education should be consulted about the Resolution.
SIR GEORGE MAXWELL suggested that undue importance was attached in the draft Resclution to music, crafts, and the arts of home life."
SIR JAMES CURRIE said that before the particular question of any Resolution was considered it was important to settle the general principle whether it was a good policy to entangle the Africans in an English examination system.
MR. MAYHEW said that this question had already been discussed and that the Secretary of State, on the advice of the Committee, had sent out a memorandum to the Colonial Governments, asking them to consider the advisabiliy of local examina- tions. But there were great and obvious difficulties.
THE CHAIRMAN observed that African girls who came to England to take train- ing courses must be given facilities for passing an examination in their own country which would be accepted here for Matriculation purposes.
SIR JAMES CURRIE preferred that education should be completed locally and mentioned the encouraging results which had been obtained in the local medical school in the Sudan.
THE CHAIRMAN agreed that it was desirable to train the natives in their own country, but until such facilities were available he was very anxious that some other avenue of higher education should be open to the African man or woman.
MR. MAYHEW reminded the Committee that the draft Resolution did not only apply to the Africans themselves; it also applied to English women who wished to go out to Africa as teachers.
(10505)
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