HC Deb 30 June 1903 vol 124 c921
MR. SWIFT MACNEILL

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the representations made to him by the Dutch deputation at Pretoria on the 8th January last, headed by Botha, De la Rey, and Smuts, and by the Dutch deputation at Bloemfontein in February last, headed by De Wet and Hertzog, that the arrangement by which a maximum of three hours weekly for instruction in the Dutch language, with a maximum of two hours for religious and Biblical instruction, through the medium of the Dutch language, in the Government schools of the Transvaal and Orangia was insufficient, and Lord Milner's declaration that South Africa will be a country of one language, effect will be given to the wish of the Dutch population that the limit of time for instruction in the Dutch language may be extended.

MR. J. CHAMBERLAIN

I am not prepared to modify the present arrangement which, as I have already informed the hon. Member in answer to a similar Question on March 18th,† is, I understand, the same as in the schools of the Cape Colony.