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THE CHAIRMAN passed to the question of languages, taking as a basis the three recommendations quoted in his opening statement.

(1) That elementary education should be in the vernacular in the lower grades as a general principle.

(2) That English should be the language for higher instruction. (3) That the teaching of a language of intercommunication (lingua franca) in the intermediate stage was not necessary at present. f

As regards the first two points, principles which are already recognized in the area were re-affirmed.

There was general agreement on these principles.

As regards the third point, the general feeling of the meeting appeared to be that the use of a language of intercommunication (lingua franca) in schools for educational purposes was not called for at present. . In this connection a discussion took place on the use and spread of Arabic in the area during which the following points arose :—

Several speakers drew attention to the undesirability of the spread of this language.

It was pointed out that the agencies fostering the spread of Arabic were :—

(1) Government offices. (11) Soldiers and policemen. (11) Arab traders. THE CHAIRMAN again drew attention to the fact that it was the policy of the Sudan Government gradually to replace Arabic by English

as the language for correspondence and accounts in Government Offices in the Southern Sudan.

Some speakers pointed out that, even though correspondence, etc., were conducted in English, unless administrative officials spoke the local vernacular, Arabic would still retain its prestige as the language by which the Native would obtain justice, though this might be mitigated by using local boys with a knowledge of English as interpreters. The supply of such boys would depend on the progress of the higher schools.

ARCHDEACON SHAW : As regards soldiers and police, just as Bangala had followed the Belgian Flag so Arabic had come in with the advent of the present administration and had even ousted Bangala in a large

part of the territory formerly administered by the Belgians.

Some speakers made the point that if Southern Arabic were to be recognized as the general means of intercommunication it would be necessary to improve it considerably.

Bisuor Kircuine expressed the opinion that the whole essence of a lingua franca was that it should be extremely simple and easy to learn and that if enriched it would lose its chief function.

A discussion then ensued as to the possibility of fostering the use of some other language as the common language of intercommunication. The languages mentioned in this connection were Bangala, Swahili, and English. With regard to the latter, it was felt that English used