Chapter 148: Educational Immigration
At dusk, after having dinner, the immigrants gathered at the temporary school.
From inside the school building came the sound of reading aloud.
"Danke!" (Thank you)
"Danke!"
"Auf Wiedersehen!" (Goodbye)
"Auf Wiedersehen!"
…
In the makeshift schoolhouse, it was packed with people "striving" to learn German.
"When someone helps you, you should say Danke to express your thanks. Now follow me," said Lovos Rehn to the learners.
"Danke!"
"Dǎnkè!"
Aside from Germans and some immigrants from Austria-Hungary, nearly all the other settlers spoke no German at all. Now they were forced to sit in a cramped classroom to attend lessons.
According to their different native tongues, these students were divided into different classes. Many older peasants from Austria-Hungary who couldn't read or write themselves even served as teachers—mainly for those who only spoke local dialects from Austria-Hungary.
It's unwise to place too much faith in these immigrants' learning abilities. The colony only wants them to pick up some simple words and expressions for their early days in the new land.
After all, in East Africa the only public language is German. Even without formal German lessons, some might still pick up the language on their own. This isn't uncommon, especially in Austria-Hungary, where people in border regions often speak two languages, though if asked to write them, they might not even know the letters.
For adult lessons, the colony focuses on spoken German, not written skills. Many of the German immigrants themselves can only speak, not write, mainly because they're older, and studying like primary-school children isn't very realistic.
Adult education is simple: use everyday, familiar things for repetitive drills. For instance, here is a rice seedling. Everyone repeats the German word for "rice plant." Grammar or vocabulary? Sorry, that's nonexistent. As long as you can manage a bit of conversational speech, others can guess your meaning.
After the language lesson, it's time for the common-sense lesson, which everyone attends. Every batch of new immigrants must receive "common-sense education."
Given that East Africa is a special environment, quite different from wherever they lived before, the colony wants them to adjust.
"In Africa, there isn't a spring, summer, autumn, or winter. Instead, the weather is fairly constant year-round, and we just have a rainy season and a dry season," said Lovos Rehn to the learners.
In that respect, Rehn really was an expert. Lessons on geography or astronomy must be handled by professional instructors, so those illiterate "teachers" also attended as students, listening carefully.
"In East Africa, the most important thing is cleanliness. Our government's data shows that the number one cause of death here is disease, and disease spreads via insects and unsanitary behavior. So you must repel mosquitoes, mind hygiene, not relieve yourselves anywhere but in latrines, wash your hands before meals, avoid drinking raw water or eating random wild food…" Rehn listed the crucial guidelines for life and work in the colony.
"Teacher, you've said so much. How can we remember it all? And are these endless rules maybe going overboard?" asked a European learner with some skepticism.
"Hmph, do you think I want to waste my breath telling you all this? Presumably, before coming here you heard talk of conditions in overseas colonies—probably nothing pleasant, right? Tales of diseases and death. You know Africa is sometimes called the 'Cursed Continent' in European parlance, or in Eastern terms, a land of 'miasma,' reaping countless lives and piling up bones.
"Perhaps you haven't encountered real horror since arriving in East Africa. Why not? Because the government's regulations protect you. Maybe you don't get it—I'll compare it to the Black Death or plague in Europe or the Far East, which inflicted devastation similar to some ordinary diseases here in the colonies.
"Long ago, countless Native Americans died from diseases brought by Europeans. Likewise, Africa—teeming with ailments you can't resist—demands great vigilance," said Rehn.
"Mr. Rehn, if we really can't resist, aren't we just wasting our effort?" someone else asked.
"I meant that once infected, you can't rely on cures. At present levels of medicine, many diseases are incurable, relying solely on your immune system. Of course, it looks safe in East Africa now, but don't think I'm joking. Your safety hinges on measures that some of you resist. For instance, some of you might never have bathed in your entire life before coming here, yet now you're forced to bathe and wash clothes daily.
"Diseases hate cleanliness. Back when plague or the Black Death struck European cities, filthy streets drenched in sewage were breeding grounds for epidemics. The tropics are especially rampant with malaria, which our East African government discovered is spread by mosquito bites. Hence we require you to protect yourselves accordingly…"
This "common-sense lesson" is basically the colony's survival guide. Covering every facet of East African life, it highlights natural conditions, laws, living tips, aiming to help immigrants integrate while also shaping their thinking.
Certainly, many immigrants are uneducated, lacking knowledge but hopefully not succumbing to total ignorance. For instance, superstitions abound, but they cannot undermine colony policies. If you want to worship random gods instead of accepting that human effort can ward off disease, refusing to adapt, the colonial government won't indulge it. In East Africa, no "divine presence" can override official authority.
Whatever bad customs you bring, they won't find fertile ground here. The colony can't afford disruptions. It is hardly merciful, arguably even harsher than Prussian rule. The difference is that Prussia is surrounded by strong foes and remains on high alert, while East Africa has no such adversaries right now—indeed, for years it has mostly bullied neighboring tribes with minimal pressure.
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