CO129-591-3 Education Department- revised grant code 24-10-1945 - 11-12-1945 — Page 11

Mr. Robison.

I am extremely sorry that this file has been held up for so long due to an accumulation of work which, for months past, I have not been able to dis- perse. Now that at last I have been able to read the Governor's despatch at 20 I find that the proposed amendments to the Grant Code seem to be quite straightforward. The original Code was, I think, subject to very considerable local criticism. The suggested amendments are rational and, subject to the views of the Education Advisers, I hope that we can approve them all.

The standard of education in the Colony in the past is not one of which it seems possible to be very proud. (it has been pointed out that during the period 1934 1939 the average expenditure on education was only 5.96% of the Colony's total expenditure while the expenditure on police and prisons was 11.92%..) The provision for primary vernacular education in particular has been open to criticism. The introduction of the Amended Grant Code should do much to improve matters. (Although the Code had been approved in June 1941 it did not effectively come into force before the war.) The amount allowed for grants to grant- in-aid schools and subsidies to vernacular schools in the 1946/47 Estimates is $1,950,000 (£121,875) as against $620,058 (£38,753) in 1941/42.

In the last paragraph of his despatch the Governor asks that the amended text may be brought to the attention of the Advisory Committee on Education. You will no doubt say whether the conveyance of the Secretary of State's approval to the amended Code (if that is agreed). must await consideration by the Committee.

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The revised Code appears to be a very comprehensive and at the same time concise, document. As it has been drawn up by the Director in consultation with all interested parties it may be presumed that all have agreed with the amendments.

The Governor has asked that the amended text should be brought to the attention of the A.C.E.C., but he has not suggested that there is any point in dispute about which he would like an opinion from the A.C.E.C.

The Non-African sub-committee of the A.C.4.C will be very interested to have copies of the revised Code; if twelve copies could be sent to me I will distribute them amongst these members, who without knowledge of local conditions would hardly feel compet- -ent to offer comments which in any way would prevent the Secretary of State from giving his approval.

I therefore suggest that the Secretary of State's approval of the amended Code be conveyed to the Governor in order that there may be no delay in putting into operation what appear to me to be necessary amendments to maintain a satisfactory education service of combined wovernment and grant-in-aid efforts.

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