Sir Donald Cameron

Tanganyika’s second British Governor

Sir Donald Cameron arrived in 1925 and immediately set about attempting to win the support of the settlers and the British "unofficial" population for his policies. He was conscious of the contribution the settlers could make to the economic development of the country and he tried hard to convince them that he was concerned for their welfare.

He nevertheless made it clear from the start that this was not just another British Colony: "We are here on behalf of the League of Nations to teach Africans to stand by themselves. When they can do that, we must get out. It will take a long time, yet everything we do must be based on this principle". This was a remarkably liberal and far sighted policy for 1925 and he was even more precise about expatriate settlement: "We must determine from the start the place of the African in the political structure and how he is to achieve it. "We must not allow the European to become so entrenched that there will be no place for the African except at the white man's pleasure".

The keystone of Cameron's policies of indirect rule, preparation .for self rule and eventual independence, was education, In fulfilment of this aim, between 1925 and 1931, the expenditure on education was increased by 8 times, and the number of pupils in Government schools, by 10 times, This was commendable but still far from adequate, and Cameron realised that he would have to turn for help to the missions, who could provide education at half the cost of the Government schools.

1916-1920 Horace Archer Bratt, administrator

1920-1924 Horace Archer Bratt

1925-1931 Donald Charles Cameron

1931-1934 George Stewart Symes

1934-1938 Harold Alfred MacMichael

1938-1941 Mark Aitchinson Young

Published on the occassion of the opening of the Railway on 5th December 1929, by His Excellency Sir Donald Cameron, K.C.M.C., K.B.E., and to commemorate the First Session of the Legislative Council of the Tanganyika Territory at Arusha.

The first attempts at providing education for British children were made in 1927 and 1928 and this will be dealt with more fully in the next chapter.

Cameron left in 1930 and Tanganyika was faced with not only a severe economic depression, but lack, of inspiration and drive in Cameron's less able successors. This hit particularly the Native Authority schools which were being established by the local authorities in pursuance of Cameron's "indirect rule" policy. The expenditure on African education fell from £110,833 or 0.44 shillings per head of population in 1931/32 to £70,951 or 0.28 shillings per head in 1935, while there were small increases in the expenditure for European and Indian education. Even though an economic recovery was clearly apparent by 1934. the total spent on education fell from £111,302 or 6.36% of total revenue in 1930/31 to £92,313 Or 3.94% of revenue in 1937.

The Permanent Mandates Commission of the League of Nations took the British delegate to task in 1938 for what it considered an excessively low expenditure on African Education.

Another factor which impeded planned development was the rumours of the 1930s that Tanganyika would be handed back to Germany. This cloud on the horizon was not finally dispelled until the Colonial Secretary made a pronouncement on the subject in 1938.