'...a proper subject of reproach to the Empire'. Reflections on British Education Policy in the Seychelles 1938-1948

The Seychelles, one of Britain's more remote Indian Ocean colonies, long suffered a totally inadequate system of schooling based mainly on the Roman Catholic mission. This article traces how education policy was challenged in the 1930s and changed in the 1940s. Emphasis is placed on the decisive role of the colonial governor in initiating and implementing a change in policy and the absence of any sense of overriding direction and control emanating from Whitehall.