234 EDUCATION. 



larly, and learnt little or nothing ; ^ that the secular system 

 of education had not attracted, as it was hoped, the children 

 of the Hindoo immigrants, of wiiom scarcely one was to he 

 found in a ward school ; that the ward schoolmasters were gene- 

 rally inefhcient, and the Central Board of Education inactive ;: 

 that there was no rigorous local supervision, and no local in- 

 terest felt in the schools ; that there were fewer children in the 

 Avard schools in 1868 than there had heen in 1863, in spite 

 of the rapid increase of population : and all this for the simple 

 reason which the Archbishop had pointed out the want of 

 religious instruction. As was to be expected, the good people 

 of the island, being most of them religious people also, felt 

 no enthusiasm about schools where little was likely to be 

 taught beyond the three royal E's. 



I believe they w^re wrong. Any teaching which involves 

 moral discipline is better than mere anarchy and idleness. 

 But they had a right to their opinion ; and a right too, being 

 the great majority of the islanders, to have that opinion 

 respected by the Governor. Even now, it will be but too 

 likely, I think, that the establishment and superintendence 

 of schools in remote districts will devolve as it did in 

 Europe during the Middle Age entirely on the different 

 clergies, simply by default of laymen of sufficient zeal for 



1 See Mr. Keenan's Keport, and other papers, printed bj' order of the 

 House of Commons, 10th August, 1870. 



