§ 69. Mr. J. Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware of the anxiety of members of the African Representative Council of Northern Rhodesia regarding the state of African education in the Colony and particularly of the anxiety expressed in Council by Mr. Harry Franklin, the Minister for Education and Social Services, and also by Mr. Laurence Katilunger, African Mineworkers' Secretary; and what steps he proposes in this situation.
§ Mr. ProfumoYes. The Northern Rhodesia Government and my right hon. Friend are fully aware of the problem. With the rapid growth of the copper mining industry, it is not surprising that there are on the one hand vacant places in rural schools and, on the other hand, more children in the new towns than the education system can adequately provide for at present. The difficulties are aggravated by the heavy fall in the price of copper. In spite of the consequent trimming of the estimates, special priority continues to be given, as regards both recurrent and capital expenditure, to African education.