4. Mrs. Butlerasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what proportion of the total number of Indian children at school in Mauritius failed the 6th 924 standard examination during the years 1954–57, respectively.
§ Mr. ProfumoThe information is not available since the lists of candidates give no indication of their religion or racial origin.
Mrs. ButlerIs the hon. Member aware that a considerable number of Indian children fail this examination because of the great difficulty they have in mastering the French language? Will he encourage the carrying out of the recommendations of successive Royal Commissions and the Ward Report that they should have their basic instruction in their mother tongue, with English as their second language, and that French should no longer be compulsory in this examination?
§ Mr. ProfumoI have recently been to Mauritius and I was not made aware of this difficulty in any way. I do not believe there is any reason to think that the Indo-Mauritians are suffering more than other children. There is a large proportion of failures, but the Government hope that that is only a phase in the development of education.