WEST AFRICAN JUDGEMENT
SIR,—Your correspondent, Mr. F. W. Skinnard, M.P., criticises the tendency of West African " literate youth " to choose the well-trodden paths of law and the administrative service and to neglect opportunities of acquiring skill in agriculture. May I suggest that one cause of this choice is the academic character of the school certificate examination which is the sole avenue to professional success and which has little, if any, relevance to the practical needs of the people ? A similar situation existed in one of the West Indian islands some years ago. It was met by the grant of a Government scholarship to the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, Trinidad, and the needs of the island made future employment for the successful candidate certain and attractive.
Unless and until the curriculum of the school certificate is more relevant to the practical needs of West Africa, might not a similar scheme
for West Africa be of value ?—Yours, &c., W. M. A. JONES. Quenington, Fair!ord, Glos.
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