Indian education in Natal | South African History Online

1865: A report? Native Schools 1865? states that these were day and evening schools.Á‚ There was a Mr Earl?s school on the Isipingo plantation which was attended by both Natives and Indians.
1867: 20 September, Lieutenant Governor Keate in Despatch Number 47 of 1867 wrote that on the Reunion Estate a hospital was converted into a schoolroom for Indian children on the estate.
1865: A report ?Native Schools 1865? states that these were day and evening schools. There was a Mr Earl?s school on the Isipingo plantation which was attended by both Natives and Indians.
1867: 20 September, Lieutenant Governor Keate in Despatch Number 47 of 1867 wrote that on the Reunion Estate a hospital was converted into a schoolroom for Indian children on the estate.
1868: In the Brooks 1868 Parliamentary Papers Vol. 18 states that the Reverend Ralph Stott established a day school for Indians in Durban.
1868: 31 March, In the 1868 Native Affairs Report ? Vol 16 ?No. 26 states that there was Mr Barker?s school at Umzinto which was also attended by Natives and Indians. The school was an evening school.
1871: In a report by the Superintendent of Education in the 1871 Natal Blue Book (NBB) it is recorded that there was a school at the Lower Umkomanzi for Indian children on the sugar estate
1872: August, The Coolie Commission drew the attention of the Government to the necessity of educating Indians. The Commission?s papers stated that there was also an evening school on the Umgeni Estates.
1874: The Education Commission of 1874 recommended that the Government should assist owners and managers of plantations to maintain schools on plantations and that the Durban Corporation should cooperate with the Government in the immediate erection of schools in Durban. The Commission also recommended that all Indian children within a reasonable distance should be compelled to attend, under the direction and with the approval of the Protector of Indian immigrants. The Education Commission also said that the attendance of non-European children at European schools was approved by Lieutenant Governor Keate.
1875: 27 August, Lieutenant Governor Keate stipulated that all schools in Natal aided by the Government were to be open to all classes.
1876: There were only two schools for Indians and both were in Durban. The first was a day school with 34 pupils and the second an evening school with 20 scholars.
1878: Up to 1877 no systematic effort had been made for the education of Indian children. Only in 1878 that Law of 20/1878 was passed making provision for a board of education called the Indian Immigrant School Board. The establishment of the Board created a dual system of education for Indians as they were allowed to attend European schools.
1879: 26 March 1879, The first meeting of the Indian Immigration School Board was held in the office of the Protector of Indian Immigrants in Durban. Present were the Protector of Indian Immigrants, the Rev Ralph Stott and Mr Heury Binns, a planter. Not all members of the Board were present ? the meeting lasted two hours.The minutes of the Indian Immigration School Board states that a resolution was taken that an Inspector (Education) should be obtained from the Government of Madras, India. The School Board also resolved that aid should be given to schools established or conducted by private persons for the special instruction of Indian children; February 1879, The board sent a circular to employers of Indian labour in which they were asked for their opinions on the establishment and maintenance of schools and what support they would give towards the erection of schools on their estates. Only six replies were received.
1880: About sixty Indian children attend European schools in Natal.
1881: Out of 123 above the age of 15 at Government Schools, 37 were Indian.Mr George Dunning, formerly the headmaster of the High School, Chitaldrug, Madras Presidency, India was selected and he arrived in South Africaon on 9 September 1881.; 15 October, Minutes of the Indian Immigration School Board reported that a Commission communicated with Mr Dunning to make a tour of inspection on the coast to acquire full information in connection with the educational needs of Indian. Mr Dunning visited several estates and submitted a report but the Board instructed him to prepare another report as it found the first one unsatisfactory.; 26 November, Mr Dunning reported for the second time but that planters were dissatisfied.; 5 April, The Victoria Planters Association passed a resolution that Mr Dunning was devoting too much attention to the education of the children of Indian indentured workers and did not look after the educational needs of the children of the Free Indians.
1881: 5 April, The Victoria Planters Association passed a resolution that Mr Dunning was devoting too much attention to the education of the children of Indian indentured workers and did not look after the educational needs of the children of the Free Indians.1 August, The Board felt that Dunning?s work/report was unsatisfactory and gave him three months dismissal notice. Mr Colepeper, the acting Protector of the Indian Immigration was appointed inspector of Indian schools.
1883: The Railway school was the only departmental school attended mainly by the children of the Natal Government Railway employees.
1883: The Railway school was the only departmental school attended mainly by the children of the Natal Government Railway employees. Evening school for adults were held at the Durban Board School, the Railway School in Durban, the Umgeni School and the Equefa School.There were two private schools, the Umgeni Private School and the Mount Moriah Private School.; October, The first School Board was opened. Law 20 of 1878 empowered the Indian Immigration School Board to establish its own school.; November, An estate school was opened at Prospect Hall.
1884: Another estate school was opened at Clare Estate ?both these schools were mission schools. Dr Booth's school in Durban had over 100 pupils.A Mr Vinden?s Private School operated in Pietermaritzburg. The school was closed in 1885.By this year the total amount in grants given to Indian education was £626.5s.0d compared to £68 paid out in 1874.By the following year the only evening school that was well attended was the Railway School nearly all the evening schools had been closed, since workers in country places were too tired after their days work to attend evening school. Those in town had been prevented by the 9 o?clock curfew bell from attending.; 12 July, According to the minutes of the Indian Immigration School Board school board minutes a proposal to establish a Board school in Pietermaritzburg but because the Pietermaritzburg Corporation meeting refused to provide a site for such a school it was decided no further steps should be taken in the establishment of such a school.
1885: Evening school were held at the Durban Bboard School, the Umgeni Board School, the Tongaat Board School, the Railway School Board, Verulam, Isipingo, Avoca, Umzinto, Durban (Rev. H. Stott) and Pietermaritzburg (Rev.J.Barret).The Indian Immigration School Board considered the introduction of women from the Zenana Missions in India for the purpose of educating Indian girls in Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
1888: Rocks, an Indian, operated the Private Adventure School in Pietermaritzburg. It was closed in 1889.; April, A girls? school was opened in Durban under the management of Dr Booth.
1889: The Tongaat Board School which had been established in the midst of a large population of free Indians was closed since a properly qualified teacher could not be found .It was then re-opened as an aided school under the management of Dr Booth.A new school for girls was opened in Pietermaritzburg under the Rev Swabey.
1890: Sea Cow Lake Private Adventure School opened. It closed in 1891.
1891: In a report on Native Education in the Natal Blue Book, it was reported that Indians also attended the St Frances Xavier Native School.
1892: Another school for girls, also under the management of Dr Booth was opened in Durban as well as the Umbilo Girls School in Durban.
1894: 22 February, Mr Jameson seconded by a Mr Johnson moved in the Council of Education a motion, ?That is any neighbourhood where an Indian or Native school is established, children of these nationalities be not admitted to government schools as free pupils.?
1897: There were only two government schools for Indians, one in Durban and the other at Umgeni.
1899: February, The first higher grade school for Indians was established in Durban under Act No.7of 1899. It was opened in a room in Alice Street. There were 38 boys on the register when the school opened.The government refused Indian boys admission to European schools.
1902: According to the Colonial Indians News (14/02/1902 - A New Hindu School), owing to the deep seated ill-feeling among the Hindus, e.g. against the proselytising propaganda of missionary teachers. Hindus resolved not to send their children to schools established under the control of missionaries. Thus they established a school in Pietermaritzburg.; October, The government opened a higher grade school in Pietermaritzburg only after repeated representations.
1904: It was stated that no grants was to be paid to Native children attending Indian school that were within reasonable distance of Native Aided Schools.
1905: Indian infants and girls were dismissed from European school. They were to be accommodated at the Higher Grade School. At the end of this year, infants and girls at the Durban Higher Grade School were dismissed. The Indian community protested.; August, Indian infants and girls were dismissed from European school. They were to be accommodated at the Higher Grade School.; 4 September, The Carlisle Street School was opened for Indian and Coloured youth.
1906: 2 February, The dismissed pupils were readmitted and taught separately, as before, from the senior boys by a woman teacher. The annual report of the Education Department stated that over 3 000 Indian children were being educated in five government schools and 27 aided schools.
1907: August, The infant class and standard one classes were abolished and the school started from standard two.
1908: 24 July, Indians protested against the abolition of the infants? class and standard one but the Government would not entertain the petition.
1909: The title High Grade School was abolished and the name ? Indian School under the charge of European Teachers? adopted.; April, According to Government Notice No. 201/1909 of 23 April 1909, Section 3 stated that no Native, Indian or Coloured children were to be admitted to schools ,other than those provided for them. Section 38 stipulated that no subject, not included in the standard syllabus of primary schools taught during ordinary school hours in Indian schools under the charge of European teachers. This was presumably meant to prevent the teaching of the vernacular or other subjects to foster Indian religion.; 15 May, Indians protested against the age restriction and that at Indian schools children were had been denied the benefits of free education.; 1 August, A private high school (in Pietermaritzburg) to meet the requirements of the Indian community in connection with higher education was opened. The school was under the control of a Committee of five members who received financial support from the Indian public. The fees were fixed at five shillings per boy and 10 shillings for the children of Indians from the same family.; October, There were 13 children at this school; six boys were being trained for the Cape Junior University Examination and the remainder for the Cape Elementary Examination.; 17 December, An Arab trader whose son had been excluded from attendance at the school brought an action before the Supreme Court to test the legality of the age restriction. Judgement was on this date, but the action failed.
1910: There were only five government schools in Natal ? four in Durban and one in Pietermaritzburg.The Durban Anjuman Islam School was opened as another Indian initiative in education as a result of the Government?s restriction on Government?s schools for Indians.
1911: 1 September, The Indian Educational Institute was opened in Durban by private initiative. At first it was intended for day scholars only, but after some delay an evening class was provided. The evening class made provision for tuition in Indian languages and commercial subjects. The number of scholars increased from 23 in Jan 1912 to 30 in March 1916.The fees were £1.1s per pupil per month.
1915: 382 children in Indian schools received free tuition and books or either the one or the other.
1916: The Indian Educational Institute eventually closed down.
1917: By this year the Education Department was educating only 1/5 of the Indian school song population.
1918: 1 August, The Indian community asked the Education Department whether provisions could not be made by forming a special class for higher education at the school formerly called the Durban Higher Grade School if a separate institution could not be provided for higher education. Such a class was started at the Carlisle Street Government School.
1922: 20 April, A report of the Education Committee of this date considered it not the duty of the State to give instruction through the medium of a language that was foreign to the country.
1926: A Select Committee announced its inability to make any recommendations in connection with vernacular education. The policy of Anglicisation remained.
1927: Nine Europe women teachers were employed at the Carlisle Street School in Durban.There were no facilities for industrial training except at the York Road School in Pietermaritzburg which provided tuition in woodwork.; November, Two education experts, Mr Kailas P. Kichlu (M.A), Deputy Director of Public Instruction from the United Province of Agra and Oudh and Vice Chancellor of the University of Agra and Miss C. Gordon, (Bachelor of Education) Professional Teachers Training College, Saidapet, Madras arrived in the Union and took up residence in Natal where they studied the ?Problems? of Indian education with the help of the Education Department, Indian teachers and the leaders of the local Indian community. They also toured much of Natal.
1928: The Kichlu Memorandum (paragraphs 26 and 28) stated that the Indian community had already spent large sums of money on school buildings. In comparison with the £50 000-00 spent by Indians on Aided and Private schools, the Government had spent, from 1910 to1928, on Government and Aided schools, only £22,843.00.; By this year, of the nine Government schools, only the Carlisle Street School, which had then just been raised to the Matriculation standard, taught up to standard X, the remaining eight Government schools were primary schools.; January 1928, The South African Indian Congress (S.A.I.C) passed a resolution requesting that the Union Government provide facilities for Technical, Industrial and Agriculture education. The resolution was then forwarded to the Administrators of the Transvaal, Natal and the Cape Province. That portion which referred to Technological Education was submitted to the Technical Colleges. The Natal Technical College in Durban could not find accommodation and did not have the necessary funds for capital and current expenditure. The Technical College in Pietermaritzburg submitted a similar reply.; December, The first trade union congress organised by the officials of the Natal Indian Congress (NIC) asked the Union Government to provide technical education for Indian apprentices or that Indian apprentices should be exempted from technical education as required by the Apprenticeship Act.
1929: The Kichlu Memorandum (paragraphs 26 and 28) stated that the Indian community had already spent large sums of money on school buildings. In comparison with the £50 000-00 spent by Indians on Aided and Private schools, the Government had spent, from 1910 to1928, on Government and Aided schools, only £22,843.00.
1930: Provision was made for bursaries for Indian students tenable at the Fort Hare Native College. There were 69 (community) Aided schools against the 13 Government schools.1 February, Sastri College was opened in Durban. It was named after V.S. Srinivasa Sastri, the Indian Agent, who had proposed an educational institute in Durban to be erected and equipped solely at the expense of Indians in Natal. The estimated costs of the buildings eventually erected was for £20 000-00. It had a Principal, a Vice-Principal and a staff of six graduates from India.
1931: Teacher training began at Sastri College.
1932: Six Indian graduate teachers, from Sastri College, returned to India and white teachers filled the vacancies. Natal born Indians, with post ? matriculation qualifications had also joined the staff. A system of certification was introducing T.3 (with Matriculation), T.4 and T.5 were open to teachers who had not reached Matriculation level.
1933: Of the 88 women teachers employed in Indian schools, only 46 were Indian, the remaining 42 being Coloured and White.
1935: A class was established to train women teachers at the Mitchell Crescent School.A Domestic Science Department was opened at the Mitchell Crescent School in Durban

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