§ 22. Mr. Skinnardasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many schools in Mauritius are provided by the Government and outside organisations, respectively; what grants-in-aid are given to 2079 non-Government schools; and how the salaries of teachers compare as between the two types of school.
Mr. Creech JonesThere are 55 Government primary, 74 aided primary, 79 non-aided primary, 2 Government secondary, 6 aided secondary and 46 non-aided secondary schools in Mauritius. The Government grant-in-aid to aided schools amounts to £70,150 in the financial year 1947–48. I am circulating a statement giving the information regarding the schools referred to.
§ Mr. SkinnardIs there any reason to suppose that there is justification for the statement made by the proprietors of non-Government schools that they may have to close down their schools because they cannot provide adequate staff?
Mr. Creech JonesThat is a common complaint in almost all of our educational arrangements throughout the whole of the Colonies.
§ Following is the statement:
§ Salary scales for teachers in Government and aided primary schools are identical, on scales from £45 to £225 per annum. Salaries of education officers in Government secondary schools are on scales from £225–£675 per annum. Salaries in aided secondary schools are not fixed in accordance with any scale but vary from £90 to £318 per annum for male teachers according to qualifications. Most of the secondary teaching in the aided convent schools for girls is in the hands of trained sisters, although they employ some untrained lay teachers on salaries of £36 to £80 per annum in preparatory departments.