TEXT-BOOKS FOR AFRICAN SCHOOLS A PRELIMINARY MEMORANDUM BY THE COUNCIL I EXT-BOOKS used in African schools are admittedly to a large TE life and mind of the people whom they are intended to teach, nor do they meet the requirements of the principles of modern education. The call for better school-books in Africa is therefore general. The International Institute of African Languages and Cultures considers it as one of its foremost duties to direct attention to this serious and urgent problem, which needs careful study, and for the solution of which the co-operation of those engaged in education in Africa is imperatively required. The Institute has tried to approach the problem by collecting African school-books both in vernaculars and in European languages, and by studying their contents and their general character. It has received valuable help from missionary societies and other bodies, which have not only sent their books and pamphlets, almost all of them free of charge, but have also in many cases provided an outline or even a detailed description of what the books published in African vernaculars contain. Owing to the great number of books and the linguistic difficulties, it will take a considerable time to complete the examination; but in order to arouse the interest of those concerned, and thus to call forth their criticisms, suggestions, and help, the following short study is submitted as a preliminary result of the experiences and views gained from the material that has been investigated. The existing literature may be grouped under the following headings, viz.: Primers and general Readers. Books on special subjects, such as Arithmetic, Geography, History, Pedagogics. Books and leaflets on Welfare: Hygiene, Sanitation, Mothercraft, Books for general reading: folk-lore, historical traditions, biogra- The last three are not limited to use in schools. The most comprehensive group and the greatest in importance is that of Primers and Readers. These are far too numerous to be examined by one central body, quite apart from the linguistic impossibility. In the light of the material which has thus far been examined, however, and from personal practical experience, the following general views and proposals appear to deserve consideration. Primers and Readers should, in their general scheme, their grading, and their detailed contents, come up to the best standard of the acknowledged principles of education. The best books are just good enough, and the difficulties to be overcome in writing them are extremely great, the aim being to represent in a teachable form a mental world (the African's) strange to us Europeans, and to introduce the Africans into western life, which is equally strange to them. This cannot be done by dilettanti, nor by individuals in isolation. The best minds available should meet in co-operation to do the work. The following are some of the questions to which they will have to find an answer. 1. What is the relative proportion of African and European subjects? Vernacular books that deal exclusively or chiefly with European matters and ignore the African child's own world are useless, and deserve no further examination. 2. Are the European subjects specially prepared for use by Africans, are they adapted to African conditions and mentality, or are they merely translations of text-books used in Europe? In the latter case they will have to be eliminated. A translation carries inevitably the European view with it and is therefore unintelligible to the African child. It will thus encourage a merely mechanical way of learning, which is the curse of so many African schools. It is true that an important aim of the school is to open to the pupils the world of western learning, but we should not forget that it is to the African in every respect a strange world, which can only be comprehended after the child's mind has been awakened and trained by understanding his own world. Schools, teachers, and school-books which disregard this fact fail in realizing their true object, and the truth of this statement is not lessened by the fact that a great many do so disregard it and are apparently quite satisfied with their results. Books for lower grades should, for the most part if not entirely, deal with African matters, carefully adapted to different ages. European subjects may be introduced to a certain extent, but only when selected and prepared by experienced educationists. 3. What aspects of African life should find expression in text-books? African folk-lore is so rich, and there is so much of value in it, that only a few hints can be given here. In the lower standards a selection from the inexhaustible store of stories, riddles, songs, sayings of the old people, natural history, short descriptions of the country, will form the greater part of the contents. Historical traditions, geography of a larger area, tribal life, social and political institutions will follow. Here is an excellent opportunity to emphasize the ethical values embedded in original African community life and the irreparable loss the African mind will suffer if this heritage is allowed to be destroyed under present conditions. In dealing with history and similar subjects, care should be taken not to arouse or to encourage tribal prejudices and jealousies, but to create a sentiment of friendly interrelationship and mutual understanding. 4. Should the old religion of the country, indigenous religious views, customs, rites and myths, find a place in Readers? From the Christian point of view objections might be raised. But there is no doubt that religion is the very heart of the African's heritage from the past, and African life cannot be represented without consideration being given to it. There is much in African religious views which is of educational value, as for example the ideas about God, national heroes, sacrifice, many of the myths, the teachings given in initiation schools. It can hardly be justifiable to withhold all this from adult pupils. Experience shows that the fear of these teachings becoming religiously dangerous is unfounded. Nothing seems to be more suited to remove the pupils from the spell of their former primitive religion than to represent it to them in printed form, to make them acquainted with it as an object of study, in an objective unbiased way. This will lead to better results than trying to eradicate the whole religious complex from the minds of the pupils and thus stamping out some of the finest elements in the African's heritage. 5. It is obvious that in the composition of school-books Africans must have a share; not only teachers and others occupied with education, but also leading members of the native community should be consulted and their advice be given full weight. They are more than any one else able to provide the necessary material, they represent the genuine indigenous point of view, and they can help to prevent serious mistakes. 6. In the lower standards only African pictures should be used, carefully adapted to the text of the books, and in good reproductions. Reproductions of African sculptures, drawings, cuttings, and other objects of art offer excellent material for illustration, and it is to be regretted that until now they have scarcely ever been used for this purpose. The question of using modern African drawings for illustrations should be considered; it would seem natural and appropriate, and would at the same time encourage the practice of native art. Not only the matter but the manner of the text-books is of very great importance. Psychological research regarding the effect of the form and size of type needs to be taken into account in order that African people may the more easily learn to read. In this respect some of the existing text-books leave much to be desired. To obtain the best results the advice of the most competent authorities should be sought, and in this matter the Executive Council of the Institute may be able to be of help. II While these considerations apply to Africa as a whole, the actual composition of Readers will have to be closely adapted to definite areas, such as a colony or a language-field, and must be undertaken by a group of Africans and Europeans who, in addition to a thorough mastery of the language, possess educational experience and knowledge of African life. The need of new and better books is in many places so urgent that this will, for the time being, be the quickest way of getting them. But at the same time, the problem of producing good school-books for Africa must be looked at as a whole and from a point of view which takes into account the entire continent. This can be done only by a group of persons who have wide experience of Africa in general or of a large part of it, and who are, in particular, experts in African educational policy. Such a Committee should be as international as possible, and should meet in Europe. It would be a purely advisory body whose function would be to put at the disposal of one area knowledge of what is being done elsewhere, to offer advice where this is desired, and to receive information and suggestions from the workers in the field. It should, by close study, acquire a thorough judgement on African school-books at present in use, their merits and defects, and should suggest general broad principles and schemes showing what these books should be. Its conclusions will afford guidance to the group of Africans and Europeans referred to above, who are to undertake the work in each colony or language-field. In most cases it will be desirable for each area to form one committee for the whole area and a separate group for each language. The work of the groups for individual languages (see above) will begin with the examination of the books in that particular language and the selection of those lessons which merit inclusion in the new Readers. In many of the vernacular text-books there is a considerable amount of very valuable material, which only needs revision and better presentation, and many lessons might be reprinted in their present form. For new lessons the Committee will have to find writers. Here every encouragement and help should be given to African writers. It is right for them to learn to write their own books, and they will like to do it. Prizes might be offered for the best lessons on a given subject. The editorial group would also examine material submitted to them, and approve of such as reaches the necessary educational standard and is adapted to local conditions. The agencies carrying on educational work within a language-field or colony must work in close and unreserved co-operation in the C |