LIFE IN THE TRANSVAAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2742, 22 February 1910, Page 7

LIFE IN THE TRANSVAAL.

AN OTAGO TEACHER’S EXPERIENCE.

A gentleman who has been engaged for seven years teaching m the lransvaal is at present on a visit to Dunedin, of which he is a native, on six months’ furlough". In the course of a' short conversation with'one of the Dunedin “Star” reporters ho gave some details as to the progress of education in South Africa. —Education Free. —

The system in force in the Transvaal Colony is free and compulsory, all children within the school ago and residing within a three-mile radius being compelled to attend the school in their district. Religious instruction is given in all the schools, the first half hour of each day being devoted to that purpose. The teaching, which is undenominational,. consists entirely of Bible history.

—Appointment of Teachers.— The method of appointment of teachers is somewhat similar to that in force in New Zealand. All candidates for a position send in their application to the Education Board, who forward these to the School Committee. The latter select three names in order of preference, and forward them hack to the Board,’ who may endorse the selection, or select another quite apart from the three recommended by the Committee. The final appointment, however, rests with the Director oi Education, whose decision is final. He very often shows his independence by setting aside both the Committee’s nominee and that of the Board. Personal canvass by any of the candidates serves as an absolute disqualification. The school inspectors are assigned to the various districts, and are frequently shifted. They are under the absolute control of the Director of Education.

—Secondary and Technical Instruction.— There are good secondary and technical schools in all the centres. All pupils of the primary school who have passed Standard VI., and obtained wliat is known as a “leaving certificate,” are admitted free to the secondary schools. All others who wish to attend must pay fees. Unlike the New Zealand secondary schools, no provision is made for any teaching below that required lor Standard VI., so'thatMhe schools are in reality secondary schools. The work of inspection is carried out by the same inspectors who go to the primary schools. The pupils from all the outlying primary schools are sent into the technical schools, where they receive instruction in woodwork and cardboard work. In some of tlic technical schools of the Rand provision lias lately been made for the teaching of cookery. Attendance at these classes is compulsory, and the subjects taught form part of the school curriculum. All the large schools have excellent cadet corps, hut in the smaller schools more attention is paid to physical instruction than to military drill. The only university in South Africa is at Cape Town, but colleges affiliated to it have been established at Johannesburg and Pretoria, —Equality of Languages. —

Dutch and English languages are on an equality as a medium of instruction in the schools. In a district where the Dutch are the dominant race Dutch medium schools are established. In these schools Dutch is the medium of instruction, but instruction is given in English for three hours a- week. On the other hand, where the English are in the majority English medium schools are established, and in these Dutch is taught t lire a hours a week. All pupils are compelled to take the extra language. unless a special exemption is claimed by the child’s parent. It is a significant fact that these exemptions are seldom, or never, asked for. He considers that the equality of languages lias clone more to combat the race hatred that formerly existed than any other means. He say s that the English language is gradually ousting the Dutch tongue, and that in another twenty years Dutch will be nearly obsolete. The Dutch children, for example, would rather learn English than the High Dutch, which is highly inflicted, and very difficult to learn, in spite of the attempts that have been made lately to simplify the spell'ug. —-The Color Problem.—

Asked as to his opinion of the color problem, he said that it was the only real problem in Africa. Conferences had been held in different parts or the country, but no solution of the problem had yet been arrived at. It was utterly impossible for anyone outside South Africa to properly understand the question. There,was great talk in England just now that legislation should be missed to give tlie Kaffirs the franchise. This was utterly nonsense. The majority of the Kaffirs did not know wliat was meant by the franchise, and tlie few who did understand did not want it. He considers that a great mistake has been made in educating some o ftlie Kaffirs above their fellows, as is being done. These educated natives for the most part turned their talents to an evil use, and made them the means of extracting gain frem their more ignorant brethren. The only way woujd be to educate the Kaffirs in mass, and this would take a long time. It is utterly impossible for a New Zealander to understand tho contempt which tlie whites in Africa feel for the “niggers”—a term which embraces Hindoos and Chinese as well as the negroes proper. No white will engage in conversation with a black. No lilack is allowed to travel in a first class carriage, and even in the second class they have a special part reserved for them. The children are not admitted to the schools that the whites attend. —Agriculture.—

The methods of agriculture are still very much behind the times. On liis first arrival in Africa lie was much surprised to see a back-delivery reaping machine in use, but when lie gob further into the country he found that the far-, mers were still more antiquated in their methods. In the greater part of the Transvaal the greater part of the. crops are still cut by means of'the sickle and the scythe. The crops are small and patchy,_and the only cereals that grow well naturally are mealies and Kaffir corn. "Wheat requires irrigation, and large dams for this purpose have been constructed in various parts. There is plenty of rain in the season to fill tbe dams, but even then the great evaporation that occurs in the seven months’ dry season makes the supply barely sufficient. The great post of tlie country is the locust, but its ravages have been greatly lessened of late years. Locust inspectors have been appointed in every district, and any farmer seeing a

swarm of locusts on his property must give immediate notice to the inspector. 'With the assistance of the neighboring farmers and tffie natives, all the insects in the walking stage are destroyed bv means of an arsenical spray.

—Our Fallen Soldiers.—

Speaking of those New Zealand soldiers who fell during the war, he referred in terms of the highest praise to the splendid work done by the Guild of Loyal Women in seeing that the graves are kept in order.