Educational Friction in Oragla.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12730, 28 February 1910, Page 2

Educational Friction in Oragla.

Tliere hap. been considerable frictior in Orange River Colony regarding tb.( working of the new School Act. One of tho first acts of the present Ministry after the grant of responsible go vernment was the repeal of the Crowi Colony Education Law. Under thai law English was the medium of in struction, and Dutch and English wer< taught as languages. General Hertz og's School Act, by which it was re placed, compels every English chile up to Standard IV. to receive instruction in every subject partly througl: the medium of Dutch ; after Standarc IV., at least three of the principa subjects of the curriculum must alsc be taught through that medium whilsi the study of Dutch as a language, is compulsory after Standard 111. Tin Act further. requires that every teacher appointed to the staff of a schoa must be qualified to teach in. Dutcl' as wqll as English.. The Act constitutes a great grievance not only tc the English. community, but to a larg< number of Dutch, who - desire thai their children should be familiar witli English as the language most likely to be, of use to them in commercial life. In May three of the colonial school inspectors, named Macintosh, Fraser, and Brady, received notice that their services would be dispensed with from June 30. No specific reason was given for the dismissals, and when at the opening of the colonial Parliament, Mr. Hertzog, the. Attorney-Gen-eral, .stated that they were due to lack of sympathy of the dismissed inspectors and the dissatisfaction of a large portion of the public with their services, Sir John Fraser, the Leader of the Opposition refused to accept the explanation as satisfactory. It was widely believed that the inspectors had been dismissed for insisting upon a too literal interpretation of the Act, and thus demonstrating its unworkable character. Meetings to protest against the Act were held by Dutch and English in the leading towns of the colony ; anjJ a deputation, consisting of the Hon. Colonel Byron, O.M.G M.L.C., and Mr. O. L. Botha, M.L.A., Mayor of Blomfontein, was despatched to England to lay the matter before the Imperial Government. The question of the dismissed school inspectors in particular, was raised more than once in the' lmperial Parliament ; but the Government held that the matter was one entirely within the competence of a self-governing colony, . and that any interference on the part of the Colonial .Office must be limited to friendly advice.