Report of the Proceedings of the General Missionary Conference for South Africa

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907. Excerpt: ...; j-. VI. Higher Education and the Inter-State College for Natives Rev. S. Steinmann Of all the proposals made by the Native Affairs Commission perhaps none has met with a more hearty reception than the one about Native Higher Education and an InterState College for Natives. Nearly all papers have spoken of it, and most of them in the most favourable terms. We have read reports about large meetings held in every part of the country to discuss the matter and to express their approval of the scheme. The Cape Government has through the High Commission invited all the other States to join with it in the establishment and maintenance of such a College as the Commission recommends, and a considerable fund has already been raised from Whites and Natives alike to assist this scheme financially. The movement therefore is being keenly taken up all round, and in a short time me may hope to see the proposed High School an established fact. Now I do not believe that I am expected to offer any opinion about the advisability of the scheme, or to criticize the proposal of the Native Affairs Commission, by discussing the question whether the time has really arrived for this step or not. In speaking about Higher Education of the Natives in this Conference of representatives of all churches and Missionary Societies I think my object has to be to answer this question: What should be our attitude as Missionary Societies concerning this proposal? Do we have any interest in it at all? And if so: How should such interest be set at work f It is quite natural that we all are taking a personal interest in the matter. How could it be otherwise? Every proposal aiming at an improvement of the social and political condition of the Native races has always found the missionaries as its mo...