392 



Remarks on the Amount of 



[No. 38, 



for having originated this inquiry, reserving their sentiments on the 

 subject at large till the Collectors' reports should have been received. 

 The Court nevertheless remarked, that the most defective part of the 

 information which would probably be elicited by this inquiry, would 

 be that which relates to the quality of the instruction which the ex- 

 isting education affords. But of this the Court add, u we shall be 

 able to form a more correct opinion, when we see what the reports 

 contain. It was proper to caution the Collectors against exciting any 

 fears in the people that their freedom of choice in matters of educa- 

 tion would be interfered with. But it would be equally wrong to do 

 any thing to fortify them in the absurd opinion, that their own rude in- 

 stitutions of education are so perfect as not to admit of improvement." 



In June 1826, the Madras Government forwarded to the Court of 

 Directors the several returns which they had received through the 

 Board of Revenue, from the Collectors, accompanied by an abstract 

 of those returns prepared by the Board ; of which the following is 

 the summary. 



Summary of the Information contained in tha Reports of the Col- 

 lectors. 



The schools now existing in the country are for the most part 

 supported by the payments of the people who send their children to 

 them for instruction, the rate of payment for each scholar varying in 

 different districts, and according to the different circumstances of 

 the parents of the pupils, from one anna to four rupees per mensem : 

 the ordinary rate among the poorer classes appearing to be gene- 

 rally about four annas, and seldom to exceed half a rupee. 



There are endowments fcr the support of schools only in the fol- 

 lowing districts : 



Rajahmunclry. — There are in this district 69 teachers of the sci- 

 ences, who possess endowments in land, and 13 who enjoy allow- 

 ances in money granted by former zemindars. 



Nellore. — In this district certain individuals, Brahmins and Mus- 

 sulman, are in possession of allowances in land and money granted 

 by the Carnatic government for teaching the Vedas, &c. and Arabic 

 and Persian respectively, to the amount of Rs. 1,467 per annum. 



Arcot, Northern Division. — There are in this district 28 colleges, 

 supported by mauniums, and marahs, granted by former govern- 

 ments, yielding Rs. 516 per annum, and six Persian schools main- 

 tained at the public expense, at an annual charge of Rs. 1,361. 



Salem. — There are enam lauds in this district estimated to yield 



