Our visit has assured us that the high standard which has characterised the school work at Ingwenya for several years, is being maintained. This applies both to Academic and Industrial subjects.
The development in Vegetable Gardening is highly commendable and it is hoped that teacher Moyo will maintain his enthusiasm for Vegetable Gardening and that his efforts which have already been highly successful will be met with still greater success. With a view to further improving the conditions at Ingwenya we have decided to make the following recommendations and would suggest that they be brought to the attention of your Foreign Missions’ Board. The recommendations are:—
1. The appointment of an additional European Teacher.
The burden which Miss Nicolson carries is excessive. She is herself a full-time teacher of Academic subjects and is, in addition expected to supervise the work of all the other teachers both in Academic and Industrial subjects. When it is remembered that the enrolment exceeds 400 children and that there is a staff of 10 African teachers, it will be realised that it is a physical impossibility to give the necessary supervision to the rest of the school while being at the same time responsible for a particular class.
The additional European teacher would be responsible either for the Academic or the Industrial work.
2. The erection of more class-rooms.
Two classes are housed in improvised buildings. Neither of the improvised buildings is very satisfactory and their distance from the main school buildings makes supervision by the Head teacher somewhat difficult.
Two more classes, each containing 38 pupils are being taught in the church. The close contiguity of two classes, especially large classes, in a building of this size makes teaching extremely difficult.
The interior of some of the main buildings is too dark to admit of needlework being done without a certain amount of eyestrain.
We would suggest that your Committee consider the erection of a complete new school block. This is undoubtedly a tall order but we feel justified in making the recommendation since the present buildings were not apparently intended to be permanent and it would therefore, ultimately, be more economical to erect a permanent new school block than to continue erecting odd classrooms of a semi-permanent nature.
Desks are also urgently required in the classes below St. III and seats are required for Sub. A.
3. Provision of water for the Girls’ Vegetable Garden.
The present water supply is limited and is too far away from the vegetable garden.
Owing to the limited supply of water it is necessary to severely curtail the growing of vegetables during the dry season and because of its distance from the Vegetable Garden much time is wasted in carrying water from the well to the Vegetable Garden.
The idea would be to have a large brick or concrete tank in the centre of the garden.
We hope it will be found possible to erect such a tank and to convey the water to it by mechanical means.
Yours faithfully,
JAMES STEWART,
Inspector, Matabeleland Circuit.
J. G. RUDD,
Inspector, Industrial Development (Girls).