West Nigeria Supports College Teaching Plan

Nigerian officials Saturday gave whole-hearted support for a Harvard "youth corps" of teachers. At a Quincy House luncheon, the Minister of Education for West Nigeria told Dean Bundy that his region alone would welcome not just a dosen, but perhaps 50 College graduates to teach secondary school next year.

In a report published last Friday, three Harvard officials proposed that the University sponsor a group of about 12 graduates, who would attend an intensive summer training seminar and go to their Nigerian teaching jobs next fall.

The Minister of Education thus not only supported the idea, but urged that the program be enlarged, and he offered to send a list of specific jobs that will be open. It now appears that the West Nigerian government alone is willing to hire as teachers five per cent of the College graduating class.

Nigeria would particularly welcome science instructors, said the Minister of Education. But the government is also looking for teachers of English, history, geography, French and Latin.

Contracts would run for two years, and the salary would be about $2100 a year. Round-trip plane costs would also be paid.

Students Enthusiastic

Paul Sigmund, instructor in Government and a drafter of the Harvard proposal, has been deluged with questions since the report appeared last Friday. Sigmund predicts that student enthusiasm will lead to a highly selective group, even though the teaching assignments will probably last two years.

While awaiting specific word from Nigeria and from the Harvard Administration, Sigmund and his two associates--Leon Bramson, instructor in Social Relations, and Donald Eberly, assistant director of the International Student Office--are planning to contact officials in at least one other African country, almost certainly Tanganyika.

Since the African country involved will pay both a salary and transportation costs, the only remaining expense is the summer training seminar, which would be held in Cambridge, possibly as an adjunct to the summer school.

Fields of study at the special session would include international relations, cultures of Rrica, and American social history.