Comparative Colonial Education

Abstract

British policy may be summarized as follows: (a) cooperation in the dependencies between government and voluntary educational agenciesmissions, Moslem native authorities, and private groups-by the formation of local advisory committees, and by generous grants-in-aid encouraging nongovernment bodies to develop their schools side by side with those of government; (b) insistence upon education having a definitely religious background, whether Christian or non-Christian; (c) conservation through school activities of the best elements in native life; (d) educational programs directed toward the advancement of the peoples as a whole; (e) provision of technical and vocational training according to local needs; (f) education for girls; and (g) development of higher education for the training of native leaders. With regard to cooperation between government and private agencies and the religious basis of education, it should be noted that the greater part of educational work in nearly all British dependencies is done by missionary societies. This is partly because of historical reasons; only comparatively recently has the government regarded education as one of its proper functions, partly for reasons of economy and partly because it is traditional for the government to use existing agencies so far as it is possible to do so. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, the amount of financial assistance which the government actually gives to missions is, at the present moment, still inadequate. Thus, for example, the recent East African Commission advised the government to take an increasing share in the responsibility for education. In some territories the government schools were in existence before the development of the grant-in-aid system of mission schools and, in addition, it is sometimes necessary to provide governmental schools in Moslem and other areas where for religious reasons popular feeling would resent these activities being left in the hands of missions. In addition to aiding missionary societies the government also makes grants to Mohammedan and other religious bodies, to minority groups such as Indians resident in Africa or Malaya, and to private school organizations by the people themselves.