§ Mr. F. Noel-Bakerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has accepted the resolution of the Executive Council of the Sudan that Arabic should be the official language; and what steps are being taken to further the teaching of Arabic in the Southern Provinces.
§ Mr. MayhewOn 27th October the Sudan Legislative Assembly passed a resolution recommending that "Arabic should eventually become the only official language of the country, and that the necessary steps to make this possible be speeded up as far as possible without prejudice to efficiency and economy." The Executive Council of the Sudan has taken note of this resolution but has not yet reached any decision regarding it.
The Executive Council has recently decided that Arabic should ultimately 258W become the language of instruction up to and including intermediary schools in the Southern Provinces of the Sudan, and the Legislative Assembly has endorsed this policy. The speed with which this policy can be implemented will naturally be governed by the supply of qualified teachers of Arabic.