§ 19. Mr. HORRABINasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies the amounts spent by the Government of Northern Rhodesia on European and African education, respectively; and the number of European children being educated in that country?
§ Dr. SHIELSAt the end of 1930 there were 1,424 European children of school age in Northern Rhodesia, 879 of whom were receiving education in Government controlled schools. Owing to the influx of European families in connection with mining development, the number of European children for whom educational facilities are urgently required is rapidly increasing. The latest estimates show that the Government of Northern Rhodesia provided for the current year £38,497 (less than £5,000 received in fees) for European education. The provision for native education has increased from £348 in the year 1924–25, when the Department of Native Education was first established, to £22,140 in the current estimates largely by way of subvention to mission schools. The total expenditure upon these schools is not known. To this must be added a sum of approximately £7,000 to be spent on the Barotse National School out of the Barotse Trust Fund. Of 265,000 native children of school age, 124,000 are receiving education in mission or Government schools. I would add that the Director of Native Education has recently prepared a scheme which meets with the approval of the Governor, for a large extension of educational facilities for natives, by means of Government schools; and increased grants to missions. This scheme, which involves the expenditure of an additional sum of £16,432 in the current year, and an increase of the total expenditure on native education to £71,346 in the year 1935–36 is at present under the consideration of my Noble Friend's expert advisers.