HC Deb 16 February 1960 vol 617 c1101
1. Mr. Pargiter

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what facilities exist in Northern Rhodesia for Africans to receive elementary training which will enable them to qualify for training as engineers or technical experts; what qualifications are required for such positions; and how many Africans receive training or qualify outside the territory.

The Secretary of State for the Colonies (Mr. Iain Macleod)

As the Answer is long, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Pargiter

While I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for promising to circulate an Answer in the OFFICIAL REPORT, may I say that I hope it will be rather more instructive than previous Answers have been and indicative of a very much greater effort in this direction than there has been in the past? After all, would not the right hon. Gentleman agree that it is not much good our complaining about the activities of the European Mineworkers' Union on behalf of the Africans whilst we are doing so little ourselves?

Mr. Macleod

It is a very detailed Answer giving all the information that I have, and if the hon. Member would like to raise other points on it perhaps when he has studied it he might like to come to see me.

Following is the Answer: Northern Rhodesia Africans have the opportunity to obtain the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate and the Higher School Certificate, possession of which makes them eligible for bursaries to enable them to obtain further training at a university or college. The Hodgson Technical College in Lusaka provides courses at craftsmen level in the engineering and building trades up to the Intermediate Certificate of the City and Guilds of London Institute. Under the Northern Rhodesia Apprenticeship Ordinance opportunities for apprenticeship are open equally to Europeans and Africans who have completed two years of secondary education. The qualifications required for engineering and technical posts vary, but the same qualifications are required of both European and African applicants. One Northern Rhodesia African has recently obtained an engineering degree at Leeds University and he is now receiving practical training with a firm of agricultural engineers. It is hoped to send two technical teachers for training in the U.K. during 1960–61 and thereafter up to four a year on technical (craft) courses under the Commonwealth Education Conference schemes.