§ Mr. J. Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that African teachers in Northern Rhodesia are not permitted to take part in political activities; and to what extent this is the case in the Colonial Territories of Kenya, Tanganyika and Nyasaland.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd, pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 22nd May, 1957; Vol. 570, c. 1231-2], supplied the following further information:
It is not the case that African teachers in Northern Rhodesia are not permitted to take part in political activity. The majority, including all teachers now being appointed by Government, are members of the Unified Teaching Service and are debarred only from making use of their position as teachers to further the ends of any political party or to expound their own political views. They are free to stand for election and if elected are given leave of absence to attend council meetings except in the case of election to the central Government when they would have to resign, because parliamentary activities are not compatible with full-time teaching. A minority are not members of the Unified Teaching Service but have remained civil servants and as such are debarred from political activities.
In Kenya and Tanganyika teachers in Government service are civil servants and are subject to the usual rules. This means broadly that in Tanganyika they may not 11W belong to or support, in public or private, any political organisation. In Kenya they may not belong to any political association or express their views in public in support of any such association or of political candidates, but they may attend political meetings and exercise their rights of franchise. They may also, with permission, stand as candidates for election to Legislative Council, but must resign if elected. In Tanganyika, however, they have not been qualified for appointment as Representative Members unless they have left Government service. Teachers employed by grant-aided or quasi-official organisations in Kenya are governed by the authority concerned. In Tanganyika the only limitation on non-Government teachers is that, as in Northern Rhodesia, they may not misuse their position as teachers to expound their own political views or further the ends of any political organisation. In Nyasaland, teachers employed in assisted schools run by voluntary agencies are required not to engage in any activity which might interfere with the efficient discharge of their duties, whilst teachers who are in the direct employment of Government are subject to the appropriate African staff regulations. These, broadly speaking, do not forbid a person employed by Government from becoming a member of a political association or from attending public meetings on political subjects or from recording his vote at such meetings or at an election, but they do forbid him to take a more overtly active part in political affairs, e.g., holding office in a political organisation, canvassing in support of political candidates, or—without due official permission—publishing political propaganda. When, in the near future, the Unified African Teaching Service is introduced, teachers employed in assisted schools who enter that Service will be deemed to be guilty of serious misconduct if they use their positions as teachers to further the ends of any political party, or to expound their own political views, or to encourage disrespect for, or disobedience to, Government or the laws.