Education (Hansard, 16 June 1959)

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd,

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 19th March, 1959; Vol. 602, c. 61–2], supplied the following information:

The main objects of the present Tanganyika five-year plan for African education covering the period 1957–61 are to improve the standard of education, particularly at the primary level, while continuing to expand opportunities for education at middle, secondary and technical schools so that a greater proportion of children can continue their education following the four-year primary course.

Measures being taken to improve the standard of primary education include the introduction of single sessions for Standards III and IV, allowing for attendance for a full day and thus providing for these standards a more intensive and detailed primary course, and the introduction of teaching in English. By the end of 1958 single sessions had been introduced for these standards at 949 primary schools and by the middle of 1959 some 40 per cent. of primary schools in Tanganyika should be operating with single sessions in the two standards. A simple English course for use in Standards III and IV is now being studied at all training centres and the introduction of teaching in English began at 220 primary schools last year. This number is expected to be doubled during 1959. Although the emphasis at the primary level is at present on the improvement of existing standards, the number of African children attending primary schools had risen to approximately 367,000 at the beginning of 1959 compared with 336,000 in 1956.

But particular importance is attached in the plan to the extension of facilities at the middle level, where it is hoped to double the number of schools (although this may take six or seven years to achieve), and for the development of secondary and technical schools and teacher training institutes. Considerable 26W progress is being made in these directions. The number of middle school streams has so far increased from 232 (200 boys and 32 girls) at the beginning of 1957 to 297 (251 boys and 46 girls) by the end of 1958, the capital cost of these developments exceeding £650,000. The number of children attending middle schools rose from 32,000 in 1956 to nearly 37,000 at the end of 1958. Additional streams are being added to boys' secondary schools, of which three are now treble stream and 18 double stream, and a new single stream secondary school will open this year. There are now six girls' secondary school streams. The total number of secondary school streams at present is 54 compared with 46 at the end of 1956. Altogether 12 streams (11 boys' and 1 girls') lead to the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate level, an increase of 8 since 1956, and a further 6 will begin this year. Some 3,500 African boys and girls were attending secondary schools at the end of 1958 compared with 2,400 at the end of 1956. Satisfactory progress is being made in the development of the Dar es Salaam Technical Institute, where part of the first phase was completed towards the end of 1957 and where classes in commercial and clerical subjects were begun last year. The second and third phases comprising science laboratories, workshops and hostels are now under construction.

In teacher training the aim is for an improvement in quality with a consequent increase in the intake of Grade I students. As a result the intake of Grade II students is expected to decrease slightly. During 1958 114 African men and women obtained Grade I certificates and 867 were awarded Grade II certificates; the respective figures for 1956 were 90 and 871. There are now 20 Grade II teacher training streams and 8 Grade I streams. Capital expenditure during the first 2½ years of the plan totals approximately £43,000 and includes provision for the initial buildings required for the Institute of Education at Mpwapwa.

The development of non-African education is not included in the five-year plan, but is proceeding rapidly in accordance with recommendations accepted by the Tanganyika Legislative Council in 1956.