86 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS — SECTION D. 



there are about i.ooo more, and nearly all the large schools are 

 overcrowded. We can barely keep j^ace with the normal growth 

 of the population. To overtake it and the large influx fnjm 

 without means more expendittire i>n l)uildings, heavier outlay 

 on equipment, and a continual increase in the number of scholars. 

 This, however, is mainly a question of money. But there is a 

 large number — some lo.ooo — of children of school-going age in 

 the Cape Province alone, not to speak of the other Provinces 

 of the Union, who are growing up without proper instruction. 

 How are we to reach these? In many cases the people live so 

 far apart that even farm schools are impossible, unless you ap- 

 point a teacher for every two or three children, which would 

 mean an enormous expenditure. 



An attempt is now to be made to reach these children by 

 an offer of the Provincial Council (Cape) to provide grants of 

 ii8 per annum towards boarding such pttpils in hostels to be 

 provided by some local authority, say the Church, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of a suitable central school. The R,eix>rt of the Com- 

 mittee on Indu.strial Education (laid before Parliament this 

 year, 1917) goes perhaps a little further in its recommendation 

 of:— 



" Provision of hostels and aid to those already existing, 

 for— 



"(a) Indigent children attending all schools; 



"(b) Country children attending town schools or central 

 schools ; 



"(c) Indigent and other youn^;: people entering employment 

 and requiring stipervision." 



The above Committee puts this " provision " under the 

 heading of " Government Action Required." That can only 

 mean that the Government shall bear the whole btn^den of such 

 hostels. What the Executive of the Cape Province pro|X)ses is 

 that some local authority shall undertake this work, the Govern- 

 ment aid being confined to assistance towards the rent 

 of the houses, an allowance towards the salary of the 

 Su])erintendent, and £18 ])er annum for each i)Upil boarded. 

 I agree with the latter proposal. A hostel ought to be a home, 

 and a home implies religious and moral control. The body that 

 undertakes to provide the hostel will regulate all that, and ob- 

 tains the right of full control of the inmates, on condition that 

 it finds any further funds for the upkeep of the hostel. It is 

 to be hoped that advantage will be taken of this, and every 

 effort made to gather in the children from the outlying districts, 

 where the parents are unable to afford sending them to a 

 boarding-school. It is the only practicable solution ; it will be 

 the most economical from the State point of view. It will give 

 the best results as far as the pupils are concerned, because they 

 will have the advantage of the large school and of a different 

 environment. 



The Report above referred to contains other suggestions, 

 which may l)e commended or criticized, but time does not ]:)ermit 



