96 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.— SUPPLEMENT. 



end of the year was 115,284. The question was 

 under consideration of abolishing the Delhi Col- 

 lege, and of utilizing the savings for strengthen- 

 ing the staff of the college at Lahore, and for 

 other educational improvements. It is said that 

 the sons of the higher, and especially of the offi- 

 cial classes, wish to learn English, and the insuf- 

 ficiency of the teaching power of the college has 

 hitherto been a difficulty in the way of meeting 

 the demand. A school of industry and art was 

 opened at Lahore during the year, the object of 

 which is to convey to the native students such 

 knowledge of painting and drawing as may assist 

 them in their special trades, and especially to 

 develop, by improved methods of workmanship, 

 the native manufactures of India. 



The information received regarding the state 

 of education in the Northwest Provinces during 

 18*75— "76 is very riieagre. The attendance in Gov- 

 ernment colleges showed a considerable increase, 

 and so did the number of candidates for the uni- 

 versity examinations. The total number of 

 schools in Oude increased by 49, and the schol- 

 ars by 5,820. The pupils generally belonged to 

 the higher castes. Satisfactory progress was 

 made in the Central Provinces, and a sound foun- 

 dation of primary education is stated to have 

 been laid there. Besides larger numbers on the 

 rolls, there was better attendance, and also im- 

 proved scholarship in all classes of schools. With 

 a view to giving to education a practical turn, 

 industrial classes were established at the normal 

 schools, whence those instructed would proceed 

 to village schools, and there open similar classes 

 for imparting instruction to the villagers in the 

 improved methods known at present only in the 

 town. The addition of this element to the in- 

 struction given in village-schools will, it is be- 

 lieved, render them much more popular, while it 

 will certainly make them more useful. 



In British Burmah there was a considerable 

 advance in educational matters, and the aggre- 



gate of pupils attending the Government and 

 missionary schools was 38,447, or 1.3Y per cent, 

 of the population. The indigenous schools com- 

 prised 874 monastic and 255 lay institutions. 

 The cause of education in the province is closely 

 interwoven with the monastic order. The priest- 

 hood, with all the powers and privileges it con- 

 fers, is no exclusive caste, but is open for ingress 

 or egress to every orthodox believer. It pre- 

 scribes no kind of asceticism, but only enjoins a 

 life of purity, temperance, and truth. The work 

 of national instruction was probably undertaken, 

 not with any motives of influence, favor, or ad- 

 vancement, but with a view to qualify catechu- 

 mens, or as a means of simple intellectual diver- 

 sion. In course of time it came to be regarded 

 as the peculiar function of the order, and lay 

 schools, where both sexes are taught, were prob- 

 ably designed not to compete with but to com- 

 plete the machinery of the monastic seminaries. 

 Every Burman boy is brought up under the dis- 

 cipline and control of the village recluse, to 

 whom the family authority is temporarily dele- 

 gated. He is housed and clothed and fed in the 

 school, and the parents are put to no trouble or 

 expense throughout the whole period of his tui- 

 tion. The master, as a rule, is strict and peremp- 

 tory, yet sufficiently attentive to the moral and 

 physical well-being of his pupils to earn their 

 continuous attachment and esteem. His teach- 

 ing aims at no high standard, and has a strong 

 religious tinge. With all its defects, the system 

 is ready at hand and is popular, effectually secur- 

 ing all the benefits of discipline, diligence, and 

 habits of punctual attendance. It seems only 

 natural that the teachers should regard with sus- 

 picion any foreign intrusion in their own domain, 

 and should prove an actual obstruction in the 

 way of any permanent want of progress. The 

 present state policy is one of kindly help and 

 conciliation. 



— Journal of the Society of Arts. 



