§ 12. Mr. Ralph Morleyasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if his attention has been drawn to the backward state of education in Northern Nigeria compared with the Eastern and Western regions; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy this.
§ The Secretary of State for the Colonies (Mr. Oliver Lyttelton)Yes, Sir. The main need is for many more trained teachers. The current programme, stated in 1948, is designed to provide enough teachers to double the number of children in primary schools in Northern Nigeria by the end of 1953. Also the training of non-graduate secondary school teachers is now beginning.
§ Mr. MorleyIs the Minister aware that the Resident of Northern Nigeria is refusing to give permission for the building of schools in Northern Nigeria and that only 100,000 children are being educated there, whereas in Eastern and Western Nigeria, whose combined populations are much less, 900,000 children are being educated? These appears to be some hold up in development in Northern Nigeria.
§ Mr. LytteltonI think that the Moslem population have not been attracted in the past as they should have been by the benefits of modern education.