§ 23. Mr. J. Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the economy measures that are about to be taken by the African Education Department in Northern Rhodesia; and what effect this will have upon the fees for boarding school education.
§ Mr. ProfumoBoarding grants payable by the Department will be reduced from 50 per cent. to 25 per cent. for boys, and 13 from 75 per cent. to 50 per cent. for girls. A boarding fee of £5 per annum for vocational students in teacher training colleges and the Hodgson Technical College is to be introduced. A relative slowing down in the school building programme must be expected.
§ Mr. JohnsonDoes the hon. Gentleman not regard this as scandalous? Would he not agree that, whatever the fall in European copper taxation, African education should never be a casualty? Will he further agree that there is need to Africanise the Civil Service and that we must educate the Africans to take their place in public life in what is basically an African society?
§ Mr. ProfumoThat supplementary question goes rather wider than the original Question. May I, however, say that the measures are being taken as part of a general economy drive which has been made necessary by a reduction in Government revenue largely due to the fall in the price of copper.