298 



102. We have further seen that production cannot go on 



continually increasing as fast as the popu- 



Progress of general ^^tion, uuless there is a continual improve- 



education. '. . .,■,■,• • -^ i- ^^ 



ment m the intelligence, spirit oi enter- 

 prise and habits of thrift of all classes, and that to secure 

 this end, it is of the utmost importance that education should 

 be diffused as widely as possible. It will therefore be inter- 

 esting to glance briefly at what has been done and what 

 remains to do in this direction. 



I have printed as appendix VI. -D. (2) a brief account of 

 the progress of education during the last 20 years kindly 

 furnished me by Mr. S. Seshaiyar, Professor in the Kumba- 

 kdnam College. Considering the short period during which 

 educational measures have been at work, the advance made 

 has been astonishingly rapid. During the last 20 years the 

 number of collegiate institutions for higher education have 

 increased from 12 to 35, and the attendance of scholars from 

 385 to 3,200. The number of candidates who appeared for 

 the Bachelor of Arts degree examination in 1891 was 548 

 against 65 in 1871. The total number of persons who had 

 passed the examination since the Madras University was 

 established up to 1871 was only 197, but the number up to 

 1891 increased to 2,679. The number of persons who had 

 passed the First Examination in Arts was 852 up to 1871, 

 and 7,866 up to 1891. 



In secondary education also there has been similar ad- 

 vance. The number of candidates who appeared for the 

 Matriculation examination has increased fi'om 1,358 in 1871 to 

 7,002 in 1891. It has been calculated that 75 per cent, of the 

 pupils who pass the Matriculation examination read for the 

 First Examination in Arts and that 90 per cent, of the pupils 

 who pass the latter read for the B.A. examination. The 

 number of pupils receiving secondary instruction in schools 

 was 32,000 in 1891. 



Primary education has advanced still more rapidly. In 

 1871, there were 1,606 primary schools for boys registered 

 in the official returns with an attendance of 43,000 pupils. 

 In 1891 the number of primary schools registered was 

 21,000 with an attendance of 560,000. The figures for the 

 latter year include pupils in indigenous j9i*(x/ schools which 

 have been improved and brought under the inspection and 

 superintendence of the Educational Department subsequent 

 to 1871 ; but making allowance for this circumstance, the 

 progress iviade will still be seen to be very remarkable. 

 The number of candidates who appeared for the Primary 



