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constitution and control of Makerere College were discussed and the Sub-Committee had submitted a Report, copies of which would be circulated later with information regarding the action taken by the Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State greatly appreciated the Sub-Committee's efforts to place him in possession of their views on this important question at such short notice.
3. Agricultural Policy in the Colonial Empire (A.C.E.C. 39/38).——-Lord DufferiN said this paper did not deal with education as such, and therefore was not suitable for incorporation in the agricultural section of Sir William McLean's general Memorandum. The Committee would remember that various portions of that Memorandum did not meet with the entire approval either of the Medical Advisory Committee or the Agricultural Advisory Council. Lord Dufferin had therefore suggested that a joint body should be set up to consider the matter, so that general agreement could be reached. A joint body had been set up, consisting of Mr. Mayhew, Sir Frank Stockdale and Dr. Smart. It had discussed the Memorandum and hoped very shortly to produce a draft which would be an improvement on the original document and more strictly confined to essentials.
4. European Education in the Colonies.-LORD DUFFERIN stated that some time ago Major Church had suggested that an inquiry should be made into this subject, but the matter had been postponed pending the receipt of further information. As this information was now available Lord Dufferin suggested a sub-committee should be set up, with the following personnel:-
MAJOR CHURCH
MR. SCOTT
MR. DOUGALL
MR. BURNEY
PROFESSOR MACKINNON
MR. MAYHEW
to examine the whole question and report to the Committee. (Bishop Myers has also been invited to join the Sub-Committee.)
The Committee agreed to this suggestion.
5. Commission on Higher Education in Malaya.-LORD DUFFERIN stated that Mr. Pickthorn, Chairman, had been compelled to return home for political reasons, and Sir William McLean had been appointed Chairman of the Commission in his place.
6. The date of the next meeting was fixed for Thursday, 24th of November, at
11 a.m.
7. Secretaries' Notices:-MR. MAYHEW reported:--
(a) (i). Inter-Territorial Language Committee, East Africa.-The report of the last meeting of this Committee, held at Zanzibar on 2nd and 3rd May, had been received. The Committee recorded with deep regret the loss experienced in the death of Mr. F. Johnson, which took place on 12th March, 1937. Mr. Johnson had been the Secretary of the Committee since its beginning, was a prominent Swahili scholar and had done a great deal to further the study and the knowledge of the language and to add to the printed literature, especially for use in the schools. His last work had been the revision of Swahili dictionaries which it was hoped would now be published. During the period under review seven new books in Swahili had been published, 113,927 Swahili books had been sold; the sum of £20 had been distributed in prizes to Africans for essays in Swahili; the programme of work included the publication of the revised dictionaries and the preparation and publication of a further list of books on various subjects, including health, history and agriculture, etc.; the Committee had decided to elect as members African scholars, one from each of the territories of Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda and Zanzibar, to be recommended by the Director of Education.
(ii) Mr. E. G. Morris, Director of Education, Kenya, had been appointed Director of Education, Nigeria, in place of Mr. W. H. McCowan.
(iii) Uganda Education Department Report, 1937. It had been decided that it was unnecessary for the African Reports Sub-Committee to consider the Report, in view of the attention already paid by the Committee to Part II of the East African Higher Education Commission Report, and its comments thereon. (b) (i) Cambridge Local Examinations.-The Syndicate had announced important changes in its School Certificate Regulations, with effect from 1939. The changes were in accordance with proposals made by the Secondary
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School Examinations Council which had been approved by the Board of Education. These changes seemed likely to benefit Secondary Schools in the dependencies which took the Cambridge Examination. They would have to be taken into account when the replies were received from Colonial Governments to the Advisory Committee's proposals for a new type of School Certificate Examination.
The most important changes were as follows:-
A pass would be required in English language test, which would be quite separate from the subject of English literature. It was hoped that schools, as a result of this change, would attach primary importance to success in the language test and that the teaching of literature would thus be substantially freed. Apart from the English language test, candidates would be required to pass in five subjects taken from at least two groups, of which group 2 or group 3 had to be one. As a result it would be possible to obtain a Certificate without having to present for examination a second language other than English or without presenting a subject from the mathematics and science group, though a subject from one or other of these groups had to be taken.
The Syndicate's arrangement for the issue of local certificates for Malaya and West Africa thus would become the normal practice. It was not yet certain whether this would lead to a change in the requirements for University Matricula- tion. The Syndicate wished it to be understood that this change would not affect any work that the Syndicate might be doing in consultation with the local authorities overseas to promote the study of local languages. The needs of local education would be the determining factor.
It would no longer be necessary to obtain credit in at least one subject. Another result of these changes was a greater prominence given to the practical subjects group 4 of the Examination which was now brought on to a par with groups 2 and 3.
Changes which embody similar principles had been made in the Junior Certificate Examination Regulations. It was intended to adapt the English test in this Examination to the needs of students who were being taught on simplified English lines by methods based on a restricted vocabulary.
Copies of the Syndicate's notification could be supplied to any members of the Committee on demand.
In reply to a question from MR. BURNEY, MR. MAYHEW said an Examination held in English Literature would be a separate but not compulsory subject.
(ii) University of London Institute of Education.--The Colonial Depart- ment of this Institute had prepared for the use of its students a statistical and descriptive review of education in British Malaya, based on Annual Education Reports, the Annual Report on the Social and Economic Progress of the Straits Settlements, and the 1931 Census Report. Copies of this survey could be supplied to any members of the Committee who might want them.
(iii) Straits Settlements: Trade School, Singapore.-The Secretary of State had approved a proposal from the Governor of the Straits Settlements for the extension of the Trade School at Singapore which was opened in 1930. The number of students had grown from 30 to 120, and in 1937 only 43 could be admitted out of 200 applicants. There had never been any difficulty in placing ex-students of the School. Accordingly accommodation was now being provided in a new building for 276 students, and an additional course for radio electricians was to be supplied.
(iv) School of Oriental Studies. Notice had been received that this school would be known henceforth as The School of Oriental and African studies". Its present address was:-
Vandon House,
Vandon Street,
London, S.W.1.
(v) He had received the recently published special number of the New Asia monthly magazine which was published in French-Indo China, the whole of which was devoted to education in Indo-China. A full and well-illustrated account of the education system was given. An abstract of it would be published in Oversea Education, and the copy of the magazine could be circulated to those members of the Committee who expressed a desire to see it.
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