101 [April 



IV. — On Native Education. 



The subject of Native Education, has of late years attract- 

 ed a considerable degree of attention at the sister presiden- 

 cies of Calcutta and Bombay, and much surprise has been 

 expressed that similar interest has not been excited on thi3 

 side of India. The department of Public Instruction at this 

 Presidency is under the superintendence of the College 

 Board, and we have reason to know that those gentlemen 

 have been most anxious to forward the important object 

 confided to them. In the year 1828, particular measures 

 were adopted with the view of training up a better descrip^ 

 tion of teachers and of improving the system of education, 

 which has hitherto prevailed in the provinces subject to this 

 Presidency ; but as, after several years trial, neither of these 

 objects have been obtained to the extent anticipated, it has 

 recently been deemed expedient to have recourse to a modifi* 

 cation of the system, which it is hoped may lead to mora 

 favourable results. As, however, the adoption of the sugges- 

 tions of the College Board would be attended with some 

 additional expense, it is necessary, under the existing state 

 of things, that the sanction of the Supreme Government 

 should previously be obtained ; and it remains to be seen 

 whether the interest which has been evinced for the further- 

 ance of education in Bengal, will be extended to this Presi- 

 dency. The following extracts from an able minute of Mr. 

 Campbell, the senior member of the College Board, on the 

 subject above referred to, appearing to us to contain much 

 information that will be interesting to the generality of our 

 readers, we have ventured, with his permission, to communi- 

 cate them to the public. 



" The original object of the College was to facilitate the 

 acquirement, by the junior Civil Servants, of the numerous 

 languages peculiar to the South of India. 



" On its first establishment, the non-existence of a single 

 English elementary work upon these languages, and the im- 

 possibility at that time of procuring even incompetent teach- 

 ers, amongst a people in general ignorant of the grammar of 

 their own tongues, were the principal obstacles to their ac- 



