( 11 ) 
revision. It recommended instead that the aided 
schools should annually submit estimates for the 
following year and Government contribute monthly 
the difference between their revenue and approved 
expenditure, all accounts being audited by the Edu- 
cation Department. It suggested also that Govern- 
ment should consider a provident fund for teachers 
in such aided schools as applied for its institution. 
The Colony and the Federated Malay States both 
accepted these proposals, which, except in the matter 
of pensions, put the aided school teacher exactly on 
the footing of his Government colleague. 
Government undertook to pay Government rates 
for the lay staff, to defray the passage money and 
half pay of European teachers proceeding on leave, 
rates and taxes on school premises, and the cost of 
minor repairs, furniture and equipment. The Aided 
Schools were no longer treated as a cheaper means 
of providing education than Government establish- 
ments, but recognised as part of the scholastic 
system of Malaya to be preserved for the healthy 
rivalry and competition they afford. The only item 
in their expenditure (besides pensions), which re- 
mained less than that in Government Schools, was 
the salaries of Missionary teachers. 
The increase in cost involved by the new system 
was enormous. In 1921 the amount paid in grants 
to English aided schools was $529,294 in the Colony 
and $431,632 in the Federated Malay States. In 
1917 it had been $166,450 for the Colony and 
$115,338 for the Federated Malay States. 
IT is hardly surprising that the two Governments 
began to wonder if they had not been rashly 
generous. Accordingly in 1921 another Committee 
#?-4 s/2si 
