ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author proposes to leave as far as possible statistics on one side and to put forward instead some general principles which appear to him to be of great importance for the future of Indian childhood in the colony. The number educated in the schools is low compared with the Fijian children, yet the advance made in so short a period gives every promise that the system now in force will in time cover the whole Indian community. A purely secular training would be a grave mistake with Indian children. With Indian children, Indian history, geography, and religious stories must have a special educational value. Out of all the different aspects of education the author undoubtedly chooses the kindergarten stage as most important for Indian children in Fiji. These children have to face a dual life as they grow older—one in the home, the other in the world.
