ik on Letters
Mathematics of Southern Rhodesia E. R. Campbell, Edward Raikes
Misquotation Sir Denis Brogan Mixing It Ian Hamilton Mixed Bathing Patrick and Monica Jenkin Homosexuality Alexander Irvine The Sixth of June Rev. A. M. L. MacFarlan Without Degrees Mrs. Kathleen Hartley Drones and Stings R. C. G. Hancock Who Made Computers? William Hale MATHEMATICS OF SOUTHERN RHODESIA SIR.—In his article, Mr. Leo Baron appears to have become mesmerised by what has gone before.
Past performance is an unreliable guide in the educational field of a country where the African population is doubling itself within every twenty years and over half that population is under the age of seventeen.
Mr. Baron mentions that in 1963 there were fewer than 400 African pupils in form IV in Southern Rhodesia. He does not point out, however, that this year there are over 700 such pupils, and that this is likely to increase in something like geometrical progression over the next few years.
Mr. Baron considers that an African strength of 65,000-70,000 is required to enable an African party to win a majority of seats in the Southern Rho- desian House. He concedes that most Africans with a four years' secondary education earn more than enough to enable them to enrol as 'A' Roll voters. The answer to Mr. Baron's mathematics is that within the next decade my Government's plan en- visages nearly 68,000 Africans receiving the equivalent of four years' secondary education.
E. R. CAMPBELL High Commissioner for Southern Rhodesia Rhodesia House, Strand, WC2
[This letter is discussed in an editorial on page 172 of this issue.—Editor, Spectator.]
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