MANUAL OF THE NlLAGIRI DISTRICT. 420 



Colonel Pears remarks : — CHAP. XXV. 



" Among the difficulties which the missionaries have to contend educational. 



with in canying on the schools I may mention three ; the first and 



greatest is the want of qualified masters : those first engaged were 

 natives of the plains ; for want of better they are still employed, but 

 they are very bad, possessing but poor attainments, and generally not to 

 be trusted. * * * Others of the masters are Badaga youths 

 trained by the missionaries. These are better in every way, but there 

 are but few such, and it will not be easy, at least for some time, to 

 increase the number. * * * * 



" The second difficulty that I refer to is the extreme poverty of the 

 hill people, which, whatever may be their wish, makes it often 

 impossible for them to dispense with the labour of their children 

 at home or in the fields. # * * » 



" The third difficulty is the opposition of the village headmen. 

 This opposition, it is worth observing, does not arise from any 

 relio-ious feeling ; on the contrary, it is a fact that those headmen 

 who are most favourably inclined to the missionaries and their 

 schools are those who pay most regard to the traditions and customs 

 of their own religion, while those who oppose them are remarkable 

 for nothing but gross immorality and brutish ignorance." 



The expediency of transfer of the schools was noticed by the 

 Secretary of State as questionable in that the hill people desirous 

 of having their children taught had no longer the opportunity of 

 obtaining for them secular instruction only, but on a further report 

 from the Madras Government he withdrew his objection. 



In reply to a suggestion from Government that opportunities 

 of instruction provided for the Badagas should be extended to the 

 other hill tribes. Colonel Pears, after giving a brief notice of the 

 different tribes and dwelling on the marked differences between 

 them, their wild, often brutish habits, and the dislike which the 

 Badagas show for some of them, points out that it would be '' quite 

 impracticable to bring boys of any two tribes into one school." 

 He adds — 



*' I would leave it to them (the missionaries) to decide (in 

 communication with the Inspector) in what direction they could 

 extend their operations, that is, whether to continue to confine them 

 to one tribe, or to endeavour to embrace others." 



It appears to have been found impracticable to interest any of 

 the other tribes in education. Of the Todas Colonel Pears says 

 (1859)— 



" The only attempt that I have ever heard of as having been made 

 to instruct this tribe was made some years ago by a missionary who 

 took three whole families into his house and maintained them iu 

 idleness in order to bring the children under instruction. It did not 

 succeed, and I am informed that the children are now among the 

 most disreputable of their tribe." 



64 



