GOVERNMENT AND AFRICAN CONTROL OF EDUCATION IN THE BECHUANALAND PROTECTORATE, 1928-48

The educational development of the Bechuanaland Protectorate has alway s been controlled by the London Missionary Society (LMS). The latter h owever, was not in a strong enough financial position to direct the sy stem of education throughout the territory. By 1928 and due to pressur e from the LMS, the colonial government took over the control and dire ction of education by introducing school committees, systematizing the primary school syllabus, regularizing payment and training teachers a nd introducing cattle post schools. Significant though these efforts w ere, the Africans were still dissatisfied with the development of educ ation in the country. They sought education that went beyond the prima ry school level. African and denominational initiatives to build secon dary schools within the country were designed to address this need. Pe rhaps a dark spot in the educational history of the Protectorate is ma rked by the somewhat blatant discrimination exercised by the colonial government in the development of European to the detriment of African education and the apparent disregard by all educational parties concer ned to offer anything new for women. Women were regarded as inferior t o men and no significant efforts were made to enhance their status, in come and role in decision making bodies.