XATIVK EDn ATiON IN Till': TK.\ \ S K 111 . ^Z^^ 



the peoi)k' of the iocalion ha\c helped in the work of huiI(lin^,^ 

 hut often the phiee was erected for ehureli purposes, and hy 

 ceHU'tesy of the missionary school is held in it during the week, 

 and in any case the site helons^s to the churcli concerned. If 

 the missionary superintendent were superseded, the (lovern- 

 ment would be faced with the provision of hundreds of new 

 school buildings, and new sites, and a very considerable staff of 

 i|ualified officials. While officials ma)' he appointed to perform 

 certain work it needs to be ))ointed out tliat more than mere 

 labour is required of men who take U|) this work. Such officials 

 would need to have iiUeresi in the work, for its own sake — and 

 interest cannot be boug-ht. The i)robal)ility then would be that 

 the officials would perform their duties in a i)ureiy official way. 

 and quite without the interest essential to the success of the work. 

 And, moreover, the additional expense both in initial outlay and 

 in salaries would be a revelation to the country. It has been 

 calculated that the missionaries are doing work in South Africa, 

 which could not be done departmentally for less than £200,000 

 per annum. 



With these considerations before tis, it is well to remind 

 ourselves that sooner or later the c|uestion of the management of 

 native schools will arise. Already there is a slight tendency 

 to resent the power of the superintendent on the part of delin- 

 quent teachers and those interested in them. Sometimes a 

 teacher is dismissed for immorality — much to the surprise of 

 the heathen community I At other times, schools are made to 

 languish and die, by the withholding of children, so as to get 

 rid of a .sound teacher who may be unpopular l)ecause he be- 

 longs to another tribe; or again, because some influential man 

 hopes to get his son or daughter appointed t(~i the place or even 

 for ecclesiastical reasons. 



In order to meet these and other subtleties it is necessary, 

 at the present stage of development, to have men who are free 

 to exercise their judgment without let or hindrance. 



In any case, it is difificult to see where stiitable native men 

 wotild be forthcoming who could take their ])lace on any " i:)ublic 

 authority " created for the purpose. It is sufficient for the 

 superintendent to act discreetly, and not without informal con- 

 sultation with headmen and people where necessary — and this, 

 I may say. is the usual ])ractice. In stiitable and more ad- 

 vanced localities, perhajxs. an Advi.sory Committee might be of 

 some value some day. 



2. THE TE.XCHING STAFF. 



The (|uestion which gives greatest trouble to the superin- 

 tendent is the provision of an efficient staff of teachers in his 

 schools. On the character of the teacher dej^ends the character 

 of the school. 



(a) Training. — In the earliest davs no pretence was made 

 of training the teachers, the senior scholars being used as needed. 

 But as schools increased the need became more ap])arent, atu 

 institution was opened at Lovedale. .^^ 



^^ 



