45^ NATIVK KDL'CATIO.N IX THK TRANSKEI. 



the chances are that they, too, will be teaching. ConsecjUently 

 his companions are not his equals in education, and too often 

 they tend to drat^- him to their own level. The heathen often are 

 out of sympathy with him. for he is ever before them as an 

 examj^le of what they could and shcmld be — and they know it. 

 In many cases he turns for companionship to the assistant mis- 

 tress, who works along^side him day by day. who understands 

 his outlook upon life, and who shares the new tastes he has 

 ac(|uired. His ])osition as teacher can 1)e, and often is. an in- 

 fluential one, for even in heathen communities the worth of a 

 truly good man is recognised. Many of the children of the loca- 

 tion grow up tmder his care and guidance, and over these, in 

 after life, he tisually retains an influence. 



The possibilities are very great, but they are dejiendent 

 upon the class of teacher available for the schools. If our 

 teachers are poor the inflttence exerted u])on the children and 

 the people will be corresjx)ndingly ])0(jr, and it is for us tc~t get 

 th'e best type of man and woman to complete his or her training, 

 and, if need be, to exckide from training those Avho are unsuit- 

 able. Unhappily this selection is not attempted. Every scholar 

 who passes Standard Vl is accepted at Training Institutions if 

 he presents himself for entrance, and at no sta.iie in the cotirse 

 is there a weeding out of undesirables. ( )n the completion of 

 the re(|uired tests they are regarded as (|ualified teachers. Xot 

 a few men who have com|)leted their training should never have 

 been allowed to f|ualify. 



(/) Rconomic Position. — In addition to this, the economic 

 •factor should be at work attracting the best men to tlie teaching 

 prt)fession — but it is not. Uualifled teachers are paid only from 

 £36 up to £74 ])er annum, and conse(|uently many who com|)lett- 

 their c(;urse prefer to take up positions as clerks, or inter|)reters. 

 and sometimes even as policenjen. It is earnestly to be hoped 

 that some effort will br made, in the near future at least, to put 

 the. teaching i)rofessi()n on a lc\ cl wiHi i)olicemen and clerks, 

 and unskilled labourers mi the mines. In these days of econom\- 

 one does not care to acK'ocate additinual expense, but one sug- 

 gestion mav lie permitted in \ iew nf the importance of the wliole 

 (juestion of the payment of teachers. At present the local con- 

 tribution amoimts to 15s. for e\er\- jxnind of (lovernment grant, 

 in case of princi])al teacher-^ ; and los. jjcr pound in the case i>f 

 assistam teachers. This scale. ho\ve\er. might be better api)lie(l 

 rather to certificated and imcerliticated teachers, so as to en.- 

 courage the latter to ijualify. and in order to ])re\ep.t the hard- 

 shi|) of a certilicated assistant drawiiig a local grant on tlie 

 lower -cale. The suggestion is tli;it rbe local grant for certifi- 

 cated (and alternatively unceriibcated |;rincij)al) teachers shoultl 

 be on the poimd for ])ound basis. This would .apj)reciably hel]) 

 in raising the standard of teachers' salaries directly, an(l even 

 indirectlv in connection with the good service allowance; and 

 any extra outlay in this direction will tend to produce greater 

 efficiencx . 



