NATIVE KDUCATIUN IN THK TKANSKKI. 4O 1 



{g) Distribution of Enrolment. — At a later stage, under ihe 

 Results of Education, we shall give further details of enrolment, 

 distrihution. and classification. 



4. THE INSPECTION OF SCHOOLS. 



(a) Larijc Circuits of Inspectors. — In order to ensure the 

 necessary standard in mission, as in other schools, several 

 Inspectors have l)een appointed by the Education Department. 

 In 1892 only two Inspectors visited the Transkeian schools. 

 whereas to-day we find eii^ht — and even so, the work expected 

 of these eight Inspectors is unreasonably great. In some cases 

 the circuit is far too large geographically, and in other cases 

 the number of schools must make efficient work exceedingly diffi- 

 cult. One man has 189 schools to inspect, but the average num- 

 ber is as high as 147 schools per Inspector. Another man is 

 expected to inspect all the schools in Bizana. Flagstaff, Libode, 

 Lusikisiki, Mount Aylift", Ntabankulu, and Port St. Johns. 



{b) Lack of Knozdcdge of the Language. — Speaking gener- 

 ally, the in.spection is conducted in a sympathetic manner, but a 

 serious criticism is to be found in the fact that only two or three 

 Inspectors know the native language. It is admitted that diffi- 

 culty is experienced in securing men who have the necessary 

 qualifications, together with a knowledge of the language, and 

 very often men are accepted whose vernacular qualification is a 

 minimum. Probably this fact accounts for the tenacious way 

 in which the Education Department has adhered to the use of 

 English in all standard examinations ; and it also accounts very 

 largely for the extraordinary idea of insisting upon teaching 

 little native children who have come direct from some heathen 

 native kraal through the medium of English. For years this 

 has gone on in our schools, but now' the change is coming; in- 

 deed, it has partly come already. As we shall be dealing with 

 this point at a later stage, it is sufficient merely to mention it 

 here, and pass on. 



The first matter of imjx^rtance, then, in connection with the 

 Inspectorate is that those working in native schools should, and 

 must, have a sufficient knowledge of the language, in order that 

 they may inspect children in their own language — not in Eng- 

 lish — at least up to Standard III. 



Since the Mission Schools are tending more and more to 

 take the character of the particular denomination to which the\- 

 belong a possible solution may be found by permitting the larger 

 churches to aj)point their own Inspectors, or, at least, to have 

 the power of nomination, and knowledge of the language surely 

 must be an essential. 



(c) Inspectorate Inadequate. — The general impression 

 amongst Missionary Superintendents seems to be that Inspec- 

 tors have too many schedules to fill up, and too many schools to 

 visit considering that there is no railway communication, and 

 that in the coast districts great distances have to be travelled 

 on account of the characteristic deep river valleys, which can- 

 not be crossed, necessitating a long, circuitous journey up the 



