PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS SECTION D. 49 



Cape Province, imposes in addition both taxation and fees. The 

 two remaining Provinces, Natal and the Orange Free State, 

 impose fees. There is clearly a case for reform here. What 

 should the nature of the reform be? The first point can be 

 asserted with confidence. It is that there should be in all 

 cases a real division of the financial burden between the 

 central and local authorities. On the one hand, it is certain 

 that the systems of education which have been evolved cannot 

 be carried on without substantial Union grants; on the other 

 hand experience here corroborates the experience of other 

 countries, and leads inevitably to the conclusion that local con- 

 tribution is necessary, both to develop local responsibility and 

 initiative, and to check local extravagance. The principle of 

 central and local contributions is thus the first financial principle 

 urged. The second is uniformity, or, perhaps, it would be 

 better to say equity, wath regard to the central contribution. 

 Details with regard to the form this contribution might take will 

 be given later. Here it is only necessary to say that the grants 

 should be equitable as between Province and Province, and to 

 make them equitable economic conditions such as rent, wages, 

 cost of commodities, would have to be taken into consideration. 



As regards the local contribution, in the third place, the 

 limits would no doubt be fixed by legislation passed in the 

 Union Assembly. These limits should be wide enough to give 

 a progressive community the chance to pursue a progressive 

 educational policy. Initiative, the spirit of competition, and 

 readiness to make sacrifice for what is believed in, are as desir- 

 able and necessary in a community as in an individual, and in 

 the matter of the provision of educational facilities should be 

 encouraged, within the necessary economic limits, as much as 

 ixissible. The form which the local contribution might take, 

 whether an ad hoc tax, the assignment of some share of general 

 local revenue, or fees, or more than one of these, would dotibt- 

 less be laid down by legislation ; but I hold the view that such 

 legislation should provide for a considerable degree of local 

 freedom and option. 



It is not necessary to urge that an efficient, secure, and con- 

 tented teaching staff is an essential factor, indeed the vital factor, 

 of success in any scheme of education. The supply, training, 

 conditions of service, and retiring allowances, of teachers are 

 the very crux of the problem; and it is, in my opinion, essential 

 that all these matters should be under central direction and 

 control. The supply is notoriously inadequate ; and the organi- 

 sation of the means of recruiting is a pressing problem which 

 can only be effectively undertaken by a central body. At pre- 

 sent the Provinces are scrambling for recruits. Various methods 

 of training are in existence. It is not for a moment suggested 

 that there should be any rigid uniformity of method. There is, 

 however, a pressing need for organisation and co-ordination of 

 the various schemes of training. At the early stage we have. 



