A Thousand Miles in a Machilla 



and simple Bible stories is no doubt true; but to 

 expect them to assimilate the education (standards) 

 the same as English children — the one with centuries 

 of superstition, savagedom, and ignorance behind 

 them, and the other with centuries of civilization — 

 appears to be unwise. From the reports, I fancy- 

 some of the local teachers have also their doubts 

 as to the wisdom of this course, and they are better 

 judges of native capabilities than those at home 

 unacquainted with black men. 



It has taken us centuries to arrive at our present 

 level of civilization. Can it be expected that black 

 men can jump over the intervening centuries and 

 arrive in one generation at the point we have 

 reached ? Black men have undoubtedly skipped 

 many generations in industrial work, reaping the 

 benefit of the past experience of Europeans, but 

 can this be expected in regard to moral char- 

 acter and intellectual attainments ? I think some 

 good and wise man well conversant with native life 

 and character should lay down broad lines for the 

 guidance of those who have to educate the natives, 

 and that these should be followed as a general rule. 



In a recent report of the Native Commissioner 

 for Southern Rhodesia comment is offered on the 

 rapid strides natives are making from barbarism to 

 civilization, and stress is laid on the importance of 

 a forward policy combined with prudence and 

 moderation. In addition, the Commissioner recom- 

 mends State supervision and making it compulsory 

 or all native schools, ''irrespective of denomination, 

 to include industrial training in their curriculum." 



302 



