38 OKHAMANDAL MARINE ZOOLOGY REPORT 



But one need not lose heart owing to such a state of things. Here is an 

 opportunity to strive and rise superior to difficulties. 



9. I have indicated ways and means above whereby the Taluka administration 

 may be made self-supporting, namely : 



I. The construction of a railway and the improvement of the port of Beyt, and 



II. The improvement of the status of the ryots by raising them in character, 

 intelligence and capacity. 



Let us lay the foundation of a policy calculated to bring about these ends, 

 and await the result patiently ; with the co-operation of the British authorities I 

 am certain we should succeed. 



10. With regard to the education of the people my ideas formulated in the 

 following paragraphs have been more or less formed or confirmed by what I have 

 had the opportunity of recently seeing attempted in Ireland and in England. The 

 problem before the Irish Government in regard to certain parts of that country 

 is in many respects not dissimilar to the problem which confronts us in Okha, In 

 England the work attempted at the Red Hill Reformatory, which came particularly 

 under my observation, impressed me as being of the utmost practical value for us 

 as administrators of backward populations some of which are actually classed 

 as criminal. 



11. COMPULSORY PRIMARY EDUCATION. Through the head to the heart; 

 this appears to me to be the most natural and suitable method of educating the 

 young. No satisfactory results can be achieved without first making the children 

 go through a regular course of primary education and in the present stage of 

 society in Okha and especially so far as the Wagher population is concerned, primary 

 education must be made compulsory, but its introduction must be gradual. To 

 commence with, it must be free, no fees being charged. At every convenient 

 village, there should be a well-equipped school and all children, boys and girls 

 of all classes, whether Wagher or non-Wagher, within a radius of three miles, should 

 be under compulsion to attend school regularly between the ages of seven 

 and twelve except at busy times of agricultural work, such times to be fixed 

 with due regard to local conditions and the habits of the people. No more than ten 

 such schools would be required besides those already existing at Dwarka, Varwala, 

 and Beyt. Schools were established at Aramda, Dhinki and Dhrasanwel which 

 owing to scanty attendance have been closed and, although famine has left the 

 Taluka, have not been re-opened. These schools should be re-opened and the 

 buildings enlarged so as to afford accommodation for a much greater number of 

 children than they were intended for ; the remaining seven schools should be opened at 

 convenient centres, with accommodation for the number of children belonging to 

 the neighbouring villages. Supposing Rs. 500 (five hundred) to be the cost of 

 the buildings and outhouses of each school, the ten schools would cost Rs. 5,000, 



