HC Deb 10 November 1948 vol 457 cc1543-6
65. Mr. H. D. Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the terms of the recent agreement between the Seychelles Government and a religious denomination concerning the control of secondary schools built with the assistance of Colonial Development and Welfare Funds; and whether the Seychelles Legislative Council or the Advisory Council on Education were consulted before this agreement was concluded.

Mr. Creech Jones

As the agreement in question is rather long, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate a copy in the OFFICIAL REPORT. Neither the Legislative Council of the Colony nor the Advisory Education Council were consulted, as the agreement was merely an amplification in points of detail of the provisions for boys' secondary education included in the Ten Year Education Plan. This plan had already been approved by the Advisory Education Council and accepted by the Ten Year Development Programme Committee which included all the Unofficial Members of Legislative Council. The Committee's Report has been laid before Legislative Council.

Mr. Hughes

Is it not the case that this agreement will govern the general administration of secondary education for a very considerable time? If that is so, surely the representatives of local opinion should have been consulted?

Mr. Creech Jones

As far as possible in the Seychelles, local opinion was consulted.

Following is the text of the agreement: His Excellency the Governor presided over a Conference at Government House at 9 a.m. on Saturday, the 21st February, 1948, at which the following were present:—
  • His Grace Archbishop Mathew, Apostolic Delegate.
  • His Lordship the Bishop of Victoria.
  • The Venerable the Archdeacon of Seychelles.
  • The Reverend A. G. Mathew.
  • The Reverend Father Egbert.
  • The Honourable Secretary to Government.
  • The Honourable Director of Education.
 Unanimous agreement was reached on the following amendments to the portion of the memorandum on Educational Organisation in Seychelles relating to the Boys Secondary School, which was signed on the 28th June, 1945. (Certain provisions relating to the primary department were also unanimously agreed to and are incorporated):
  1. (a) Site, buildings and equipment for a new College to be provided by Government and to remain Government property. A chapel or chapels to be erected on the school grounds. These to be erected by the denominations concerned, at their own expense, for the use of the pupils attending the College.
  2. (b) The College to be a Government School. The School to be managed by a governing body composed of—
    1. (i) the Director of Education or his representative, Chairman;
    2. (ii) the Bishop of Port Victoria or his representative;
    3. (iii) the Archdeacon of Seychelles or his representative;
    4. (iv) a representative of the Brothers conducting the College;
    5. (v) a representative of the past students of the existing and previous Boys Secondary Schools of the Colony, elected by the body of past students of such schools;
    6. (vi) four members to be nominated by the Governor.
  3. (c) The Headmaster, who shall not be a representative under (b) (iv), shall normally be invited to attend all meetings of the governing body, but without a vote.
  4. (d) The Headmaster shall deal directly with the Director of Education in all matters concerning the administration of the school.
  5. (e) In the exercise of their powers the governing body shall observe the requirements of the Education Ordinance.
  6. (f) The College, as from January, 1950, to be staffed by the Marist Brothers or other Order of teaching Brothers, together with Seychellois teachers, provided that the cadre of the staff shall be approved by the Director of Education.
    7. 1545
  7. (g) All the Brothers on the staff of the Secondary School shall be subjects of the British Commonwealth of Nations and university graduates with teaching diplomas, with the exception of one who may be a qualified teacher in handicrafts and junior general subjects. The Brother appointed as Master in charge of the Primary School to be a subject of the British Commonwealth of Nations and a qualified teacher.
  8. (h) The Brothers to provide five teachers in January, 1950, one of these to be the Master in charge of the Primary School.
  9. (i) The question of the introduction of further Brothers into the Primary School, at salaries in accordance with the scale payable to qualified Seychellois primary school teachers will be the subject of negotiation subsequent to the arrival of the Brother. A relevant factor in such negotiations will be the availability of qualified Brothers and of qualified Seychellois primary school teachers.
  10. (j) Government shall assume all financial responsibility for the school, all revenue from fees and other sources being paid to the Treasury. The governing body shall be at liberty to accept on behalf of the school gifts and grants towards the provision of scholarships, the erection and equipment of buildings, including the chapel or chapels, and towards other purposes connected with the school.
  11. (k) The salaries of the Brothers of the staff shall be fixed at £250 per annum for the Headmaster of the College and at £200 per annum for each of the other graduate or qualified teachers and for the Master in charge of the Primary School. These salaries to be a continuing flat rate.
  12. (l) A furnished staff house to be provided by Government for the Brothers after consultation with their superior as to plans.
  13. (m)The salaries of the Brothers and Seychellois staff to be paid direct to the individual teachers.
  14. (n) Fares from and to the United Kingdom and Canada or other parts of the British Commonwealth on first appointment and on completion of contract shall be paid by Government.
  15. (o) Six months leave, in addition to the period not exceeding the normal allowance for the time necessarily spent on the voyage, shall be granted to each Brother after completion of five years' service on the staff of the College, Government paying the return fare to the United Kingdom or Canada or other part of the British Commonwealth.
  16. (p) The religious instruction of the Roman Catholic students to be arranged by the Bishop of Port Victoria and that of the Church of England students by the Archdeacon of Seychelles. Religious instructions for students of other faiths to be arranged by the heads of their respective communities. In accordance with a conscience clause appropriate arrangements to be made for students whose parents notify in writing their wish that they shall receive no religious instruction.
  17. (q) The College shall be subject to the provisions of the Education Ordinance.