486 NATIVE EDUCATION" IN THE TRANSKEI. 



faithful consideration to these points we shall be in a better 

 position to face the future of education among our native peoples, 

 and will realise the responsibility resting upon those who are 

 moulding and framing the whole fabric of Native Education, and 

 the importance of making that education sound and adequate. 



I am unwilling to cite too many figures, in the course of this 

 paper, and yet the importance of the subject is sufficient warrant 

 for the inclusion of full statistical information. Fortunately, 

 where we have no authoritative figures it is usually possible to 

 compute with some accuracy on a basis that is authoritative. ]f 

 we desire to know how many children there are between the ages 

 of two and fourteen years, we are reasonably safe in accepting a 

 25 per cent, basis. In the 1904 Census Report, section 375. we 

 are informed that the proportion oi children of school-going age 

 (5-14) to the total population of the Colony is no less than 26.21 

 per cent, for both sexes.* 



Proceeding, then, we may calculate that the available children 

 number one-tjuarter of the ])opulation, and in the accompan)ing 

 Table XII we give the figures for each district, so as to show in 

 detail which districts are most advanced educationally, and which 

 areas rec|uire most attention. 



{a) 111 Cape Froi'incc {Traiiskci). — (i) By Coiiipiilsioii. — 

 In the first jilace. then, on examination of Table XII. we find in 

 the Territories that the average roll amounts to 65.138 children 

 distributed among 1,026 schools and 2.131 teachers. But large 

 as these figures are, we need to remember that 230,979 children 

 are available, and we would re{|uire 33^ times the accommodation 

 and 3'/> times the teaching stafif if education were made com- 

 pulsory — not to mention the multiplication of the number of mis- 

 sionaries. 



( ii ) By Gro'a'fh of Populatiou. — Turning our attention to the 

 probable expansion of the population, we are faced with figures 

 unsuited to generalisation. The census returns do not helj) us 

 very much on account of the fact that they do not cover a uniform 

 area throughout, and in any case the earlier (^nes are not so 

 reliable as the later ones. 



For most purposes we may regard the 1911 census as the 

 most reliable and thoroughf — and we cannot generalise on one 

 set of ligures. if we desire to work out the approximate rate of 

 increase of the native population, we find the task as yet impos- 

 sible, and in the next census so great a factor as the Fast Coast 

 ]'"ever is bound to make its ])resence known, and disturb the 

 normal rate of increase. The extraordinary series of droughts 

 since 1912 in the Transkei is also a distm-bing factor which cannot 

 be regarded as negligi])le. In con.se(|uence we shall not be in a 

 position to know the nornial rate of increase of the native races 

 for .some time to come, and the accompanying figures must be 



* P. xci. 



t l-A-eii so, in my best jud-imiit. Iicpclc^slx iiiariuralc rcyardiny Traii.-^- 

 keian ai;riciilnir."il statistics. 



