42G MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



CHAP. XXV. A school for Kotas was established by the missionaries, but it 



Educational. ^^^ *° ^® closed through jealousy of the Badagas. The promise 



was good, as the Kotas are an intelhgent race. 



The Badaga schools did well for a time, the number increasing 



to eleven, and Government increased the grant to meet the increased 



expenditure. The teaching was quite elementary, being confined 



to reading in Kanarese and Tamil and to simple sums. In 1863 the 



number of the schools had fallen to five with a greatly reduced 



attendance. The grant was reduced to Rupees 40. Two causes 



are assigned by the Inspector for the falling off— (1), the frequent 



changes in the "personnel" of the missionaries; (2), the great 



demand for labour, which renders the work of even very young 



children valuable. In the following year the Government grant 



was withdrawn, as the total number of children in the day and 



night schools (4) had fallen to 44, of whom only 12 attended the 



inspectorial examination. Three schools — at Kaity, Nirkambe, and 



Kotagiri — have survived. An annual grant of Rupees 120 to each is 



provided from Local Funds, and, though not strictly in accordance 



with rule, has been approved by Government in consideration 



of the exceptional character of the schools and the difficulties 



the missionaries have to contend with. 



—scheme of On the introduction of the Local Funds Act, Mr. Breeks 



F^^°°, drew up a scheme of schools for the rural tracts, but the 



bcnools. ^ . 1T1-I1 



house-ta^ having been abolished, the scheme has not yet been 



introduced. The increasing prosperity of the Badagas is unques- 

 tionably inclining them to seek instruction for their children, 

 and it is probable that a scheme of Union Schools if now 

 introduced would meet with the approval of some of the leading 

 villages. For some years past an Inspecting Schoolmaster has 

 been employed by the Board, but his duties are practically confined 

 to the Municipalities. 



Above I have tried to trace the history of educational effort 

 in regard to the hill tribes. I proceed to note briefly the educa- 

 tional position of the two chief towns. 

 Schools for A part of Mr. S. R. Lushington and Bishop Wilson^s scheme 

 IiTdkns. foi' t^e utilization of this Hill Sanitarium was the establishment 



of a good school for the education of European and Eurasian 

 children — a scheme somewhat similar to that with which Bishop 

 Cotton's name is now associated. The Church Mission Society, 

 a Society which aided in many ways the early development of 

 the hill colony, undei-took the scheme. A fine building, now 

 known as Sylk's Hotel, was erected by the Societ}' in 1831. The 

 school was placed under the charge of the Rev. J. B. Morehead. 

 It was chiefly intended for the sons of missionaries, but others 

 were admissible- The institution was designated " The Church 



