234
THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — TRANSVAAL
Religion. — Statistics for the Transvaal
Churches, &c.
Whites 1918
Others 1911
m,„.„».„„ j,. Whites Others Churches, &c. | mg lfln
Dutch Churches . . Anglican .... Presbyterian . . .
Roman Catholic . Lutheran ....
266,521 91,087 25,194 34,597 22,153 4,464
24,634 51,355
6,670 ! 92,969
6,439 101,271 |
Other Christian . . . | 18,560 24,253 Hindus and other non- Other Religions and .
Sects | 5,146 , 943,616
Instruction. — The system of education was embodied in the Education Act which was passed during the first session of the first Parliament elected under responsible government, and which provides that all education except that of a university type shall be under the provincial authority. The Province has been divided for the purposes of local control and management into twenty-nine school districts, for each of which there is a school board consisting partly of elected and partly of nominated members. The board is an advisory local body with general powers of supervision over all public schools in its district except high schools and special schools or classes specified in the third schedule of the Education Act, 1907. Instruction in Government Schools, both primary and secondary, is free.
The following statistics of education are for the yearending Dec. 31, 1918: — 973 primary schools had 88,207 pupils ; 24 secondary schools, with a enrolment of 3,886 pupils ; 346 State and State-aided schools for coloured, native and Indian children, with 26,256 pupils. There are seven training institutions for European teachers, with 605 students ; and three for coloured teachers, with 290 students. An amount of 1,283,108?. was expended during the year for educational purposes.
In respect of the question of language, the medium of instruction up to and including the fourth standard is the home language (English or Dutch) of the pupil, but parents may request that the second language be gradually introduced .as a second medium. Above the fourth standard provision is made for the instruction of pupils through the medium of English and Dutch, and the parent of each pupil may choose one of the two languages as the sole medium of instruction, or both of the languages as the media ol instruction. If the parent of any pupil fails to exercise his right of choice, that pupil is instructed through the medium of the language which is the better known and understood by him, the other language being also used as far as possible as a medium of instruction. Bible History is taught in every school, but no doctrine or dogma peculiar to any religious denomination or sect may be taught.
Finance.— For financial arrangements sec p. 216 above. The following figures show the provincial revenue and expenditure tot five years : —
1913-14.
I'.'M 16.
1915-16.
1916-17.
Revenue : — Provincial
Union Subsidy .
629,100
£ 527,329 057,804
£ 565,481
710,999
£ 7S1.8U
Total Revenue
1,231,818
1,185,188
1,120,475
Total Ordinary Bxpend-
1 ,"64,872
1. ".'.7, Mi
1,426,584
1, est, 261
