Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work/Chapter 22
CHAPTER XXII.
The Metropolitan Institution.
We take the following from a pamphlet, titled 'Statement of Facts Relating To The Metropolitan Institution:—
"1. In 1859, a school, under the name of the Calcutta Training School, was founded in Sankar Ghose's Lane, in the Northern Division of the Town of Calcutta, by Babus Thakurdas Chakravarti, Madhabchandra Dhara, Patitpavan Sen, Gangacharan Sen, Jadabchandra Palit and Baishnavadas Adhya alias Baishnavacharan Adhya, all since deceased.
"2. The costs of establishing the school were defrayed by the founders themselves; but several other Hindu gentlemen rendered substantial aid to the school; for instance, the Wellington Square Dutt family gave a large number of books for establishing a library in connection with the School, and the late Babu Syamacharan Mallik, who was described as the patron of the school, contributed to the expenses of the school at its inception, which, however, became self-supporting within a short time.
"3. The object which the founders had in view was not to make any profit out of the Institution, but to impart English education to the middle class Hindu youths at a lesser tuition-fee than what was charged in the Government Schools in which religious toleration was enjoined, and Hindus would therefore send their boys to them in preference to the Missionary schools which, though charging a lesser tuition-fee, had the avowed object of preaching Christianity to the Hindu students, and were, on that account, disliked by the Hindus.
"4. The school was at first managed by the founders themselves, but after a few months of its establishment, they saw Pundit Iswara Chandra Vidyasagar who, as Principal of the Government Sanskrit College and the Inspector of Government female schools, was most experienced in managing schools, and had ample time at his disposal as he had resigned the Government service,—and requested him and Babu Rajkrishna Banerjee to assist them in managing the school; and on their complying with the request, a Committee of Management was formed consisting of the founders and of the said two gentlemen and a few other additional members, and the said Committee continued to manage the school up to March 1861.
"5. In the said year a difference of opinion sprung up amongst the members of the said Committee with respect to the dismissal of a teacher found guilty of gross misconduct; and this led to disagreement between the founders, two of whom, namely, Babus Thakurdas Chakravarti and Madhabchandra Dhara did, in consequence, give up their rights to, and cut off their connections with, the said school, and founded a rival school under the name of the Calcutta Training Academy. At that time Babu Madhabchandra Dhara, who was the Treasurer of the Calcutta Training School, had in his hands five or seven hundred Rupees of the School fund, which amount was taken away and appropriated by the said two seceders and impliedly understood as the price or value of their interest in the original school.
"6. After the said disruption, the remaining founders, namely Patitpavan Sen, Gangacharan Sen, and Baishnavadas alias Baishnavacharan Adhya, who had other works to do, having found by experience that Pundit Iswarachandra Vidyasagar was highly public spirited and thoroughly disinterested, and was best competent to manage the school, entrusted the management thereof to the said Pundit, and to Raja Pratapchandra Sinha, Ramanath Tagore, Hiralal Sil, Ramgopal Ghosh, and Rai Harachandra Ghosh Bahadur.
"7. In April 1861 the aforesaid gentlemen formed a Committee of Management of which Raja Pratapchandra Sinha was the President and the rest were members, and the Pundit was also the Secretary, and they laid down certain rules regarding the said school and its management." *** For convenience's sake we quote below the objects and rules of the School as found in another pamphlet, titled 'Rules of the Calcutta Training School', said to have been published by Vidyasagar in 1862, for distribution to the pupils.
"Committee of Management:
"Raja Pratap Chunder Sing Bahadoor, President.
| Babu Rama Nath Tagore, | 
| |
| ,, Hira Lai Seal, | 
| |
| ,, Ram Gopal Ghose, |  |
Members. |
| ,, Rai Hara Chunder Ghose Bahadoor, | 
|
Iswara Chunder Vidyasagar, Member and Secretary.
Babu Gangadhar Acherjee, Assistant Secretary.
"That the nature and object of this Institution may be better understood, the Committee of Management desire to submit for the information of the public the following Explanatory Statement:—
"It has been found by experience that the great majority of pupils brought up in elementary schools are not well-grounded in their knowledge of the English language and literature. Generally speaking, they are hurriedly passed through the Entrance Course, and are ushered into the world without the acquisition of such knowledge as is calculated to be of real service to them in after-life, or if they enter higher institutions for the further prosecution of their studies they are often disappointed of success, because of the imperfect training they had received in their earlier education.
"To remedy this evil is the earnest desire of the Committee of Management.
"Their system of tuition will aim to avoid overburdening memory, while they will endeavour to impart healthy exercise to all the intellectual faculties.
"Particular attention will be directed to the moral training of the pupils.
"To the pupils of the junior classes oral lessons will be given on useful subjects as heretofore. But this will be done in each class separately, since it has been found that such instruction conveyed to several classes simultaneously is comparatively ineffective, owing to the inequality of age and attainments. The services of an efficient staff of teachers have been secured.
"As in the opinion of the Committee of Management the success of instructions given in schools mainly depends on efficient and careful supervision, they have appointed an experienced officer as Assistant Secretary, whose sole duty will be that of supervision, watching over the operations of the Institution in all its details with vigilance and care. This important function is generally performed by Head Masters, in addition to their principal duty of preparing the first class for the Entrance Examination. Experience has proved that both these duties cannot be efficiently performed by one individual, however talented he may be.
"Rules.
"1. The Institution shall be named the Calcutta Training School.
"2. It shall consist of three departments, namely, the Infant, the Junior, and the Senior Departments.
"3. The object of the Institution is to give an efficient elementary education to Hindu youths in the English as well as the Bengali language and literature.
"4. In the Infant Department instruction is imparted in the Bengali language alone.
"5. The rates of schooling fee are as follow:—"Infant Department, rupee 1; Junior Department, rupees 2; Senior Department, rupees 3.
"6. Applications for admission are to be made to the Assistant Secretary.
"7. Every applicant admitted must deposit one month's schooling-fee.
"8. The deposits will be returned on leaving the school, if there be no demand against the pupil withdrawing on account of schooling-fee.
"9. Notice of withdrawal must be given in writing to the Assistant Secretary within the first seven days of the month, or schooling-fee shall be charged for that month.
"10. The schooling-fee must be paid in advance on or before the 16th day of each month.
"11. The names of defaulters shall be struck off the roll and their deposits credited to the schooling-fee account.
"12. Parties whose names shall be thus struck off may be re-admitted on payment of a fine of one rupee and a fresh deposit of one month's schooling-fee.
"13. The management of the school shall be vested in a body to be called the Committee of Management.
"14. The Committee of Management shall nominate and appoint from their own body their President and Secretary."15. They shall meet monthly, say on the first Tuesday of every month, or on such other day as they may from time to time appoint.
"16. The presence of three members shall form a quorum.
"17. All questions to be decided by a majority of votes.
"18. The President shall have a second or casting vote, if required to form a majority.
"19. On the requisition of one or more members, Special meetings of the Committee shall be convened.
"20. Babu Shama Charan Mullick, late Patron of the school, shall have the privilege of nominating four free-pupils.
"21. Each member of the Committee of Management shall have the privilege of nominating two free-pupils.
"22. The Committee shall be at liberty to add to their own body such person or persons whose connection with the school might be deemed desirable.
"23. The Secretary shall exercise a general control over the internal management of the school.
"24. The Assistant Secretary shall be present in the school during the school hours.
"25. He shall carry out the instructions of the Committee of Management.
"26. He shall keep strict watch over the discipline and studies of the various classes, and over all the details connected with the internal management of the school.
"27. He shall examine the senior and junior classes periodically; the former once in three months and the latter monthly.
"28. He shall sign the bills for schooling-fees, collect them, and keep accounts of receipts and disbursements.
"29. The school shall open at 10½ A. M. and close at 4 P. M.
"30. One teacher at least shall be present on each playground during the time of recreation to watch over the conduct of the pupils.
"31. Scholarships of ten rupees each shall be awarded to three of the most meritorious pupils for two years to enable them to prosecute their studies in a higher educational institution, such as the Presidency, the Medical, or the Civil Engineering College.
"32. The funds of the school shall be deposited in the Bank of Bengal or in any other Bank, in the name of a Member and the Secretary.
"33. Surplus assets shall be appropriated to the benefit of the Institution in such manner as the Committee of Management may decide upon." **** We again take the following from the first-named pamphlet:—
"8. Agreeably to the above Rule No. 32, an account of the said school was opened in the Bank of Bengal in the names of Rai Harachandra Ghosh Bahadur and Pundit Iswarachandra Vidyasagar, in November 1861.
"9. In 1864, the abovenamed Managers of the school changed the name of the school into the Hindu Metropolitan Institution, with a view to have the Institution affiliated to the Calcutta University.
"10. And in that year an application was made to the Syndicate of the Calcutta University for the affiliation of the said Institution up to the B. A. standard, * * *. The application, however, was refused.
"11. In 1865, Babu Khelat Chandra Ghosh, the owner of the house in which the school was located, and with whom a contract had been entered into by Raja Pratapchandra Sinha and Pundit Iswarachandra Vidyasagar to pay enhanced rent on condition that certain additions and alterations were made in the school premises, instituted in the original side of the High Court, Suit No. 882 of 1865, for rent against the said two Managers of the school, who in their written statement filed in that suit say that they among others were Managers of the school * * *"
For ready reference, extracts from the written statement referred to above, filed on the 1st September 1865, are given below:—
"Suit No. 882 of 1865.
"In the High Court of Judicature at Fort William in Bengal.
"Ordinary original Civil Jurisdiction.
"Khelat Chunder Ghose ... ... ... ... Plaintiff.
"Versus
"Raja Pertap Chunder Sing and Iswara Chunder Vidyasagar ... ... ... Defendants.
"Written statement of the Defendants.
"I. In May one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine the then Committee of Management of a certain Educational Establishment, formerly called the Calcutta Training School, but now called the Metropolitan Institution, rented from the plaintiff the house mentioned in the plaint at the monthly rent of fifty rupees for the use of the said school.
"II. In April one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one a change took place in the Committee of Management, and the defendants, among others, became Managers of the said school.
****
"XII. In February one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four the plaintiff had sent in a bill for rupees one hundred on account of rent for January preceding, which the defendants, along with the other managers of the said school, refused to pay in consequence of the incomplete state of the building. Since then no bill for rent has been presented by the plaintiff.
"XV. In May one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five defendant Iswara Chunder Vidyasagar, on behalf of himself and the other defendant, proposed to**Khagendra Nath Mullick as the plaintiffs agent to have the matter settled by arbitration or by the opinion of the Advocate General. The said Khagendra Nath Mullick did not agree to this proposal, and demanded the payment of rupees five hundred on account of rent. The defendants refused to pay any money on account, and the defendant Iswara Chunder Vidyasagar wrote the following letter to the plaintiff:—
"Babu Khelaf Chandra Ghose
"Dear Sir,—I am sorry that I cannot pay you five hundred rupees as a payment on account of the rents of the house occupied by the Metropolitan Institution. I am prepared to pay all arrears at the rate of fifty rupees a month, and shall make the payment on your sending me your bills at that rate.
(Sd) "Isvar Chandra Sarma
"Honorary Secretary for the Institution."We again take the following from the first-named pamphlet:—
"12. It appears from the written statement that dispute had been going on for a long time before the institution of the aforesaid suit. And it is said that Babus Ramanath Tagore, Hiralal Sil, and Ramgopal Ghosh, who were on terms of friendship with the plaintiff, and wished to have the dispute amicably settled by yielding to his demand, retired from the management of the school on account of their proposal of amicable settlement being disapproved by the Pundit and the other members. These three gentlemen, however, do not appear to have taken any active part in the management of the school; but two of them, namely, Babus Ramanath Tagore and Ramgopal Ghosh, who were Members of the Senate, countersigned the application for affiliation stated above.
"13. In 1866, Raja Pratapchandra Sinha died, and in 1868, Rai Harachandra Ghosh Bahadur died, and in consequence Pundit Isvarachandra Vidyasagar became the sole surviving Manager of the said Institution.
"14. The surplus assets of the Institution were invested in G. P. Notes in the name of Rai Harachandra Ghosh Bahadur, and the said Notes were, after his death, endorsed over by his legal representative to Pundit Iswarachandra Vidyasagar the surviving Manager of the Institution.
"15. The account of the Institution in the Bank of Bengal, in the joint names as stated above, was allowed to lapse in 1871, as there were only a few rupees deposited there."
Under Vidyasagar's exceptionally able management, the school made rapid progress, and every year showed brilliant results at the Calcutta University Entrance Examination. In the beginning of 1864, the name of the institution was converted from "The Calcutta Training School" to "The Hindu Metropolitan Institution," and in April of the same year an application was made for the affiliation of the Institution to the Calcutta University for the instruction of the higher Arts, but it was rejected. The application ran as follows:—
"To H. Scott Smith Esq.,
"Registrar, Calcutta University.
"Sir,
We have the honour to request the favour of your laying before the Syndicate this our application for the affiliation of the Metropolitan Institution to the Calcutta University.
"We beg to annex hereto the declaration and the statement required by the rules for affiliation.
"With regard to the provision proposed to be made for the instruction of the students up to the standard of the B. A. degree, we beg to state that we have decided to organise the instructive staff as indicated in the statement. At present arrangements have been made for the instruction of the students in the course prescribed for the First Examination in Arts, and 39 students have already been admitted to the class which has been opened from the current session. Three teachers[1] have been entertained for this special purpose and additions will be made to the instructive staff as the new department will be developed.
"We beg leave to assure the Syndicate that the Metropolitan Institution will be maintained on the proposed footing for five years at least.
| Calcutta, 2nd April, 1864. |
"We have the honour to be, "Sir, "Your most obedient Servants (Sd.) "Portap Chandra Sing, „ "Hara Chandra Ghose, „ "Isvar Chanda Sarma, |
| Members of the Senate, Calcutta University. |
(Sd.) "Rama Nath Tagore "Ram Gopal Ghose." |
On the death of Raja Pratap Chandra Sinha and Hara Chandra Ghosh in 1866, the sole responsibility of the management of the Institution fell on the shoulders of Vidyasagar alone. But he was a man of very broad shoulders, and took up the burden cheerily. At the outset and for some time afterwards, Vidyasagar had to lay out a good amount from his private purse to make the school successful. No doubt, the rate of tuition-fee charged was 3 Rupees a month for every student from the highest to the lowest class, but the number of pupils was too small, for there was the Training Academy standing in rivalry. In a few years, the, exceptionally brilliant result of the Metropolitan Institution attracted many youths from other schools, and it then became self-supporting. But to the credit of Vidyasagar it must be said that, like the proprietors of many schools of the present day, he never turned the Institution to a profitable business. Out of the revenues of the school, he never appropriated a single pice to his own personal interest. Even the present authorities of the Institution have admitted in their printed declaration that;—"He (i.e. the Pandit) never made any profit out of the income of the Institution. He did, however, take loans occasionally from the fund of the Institution, but the same was always repaid."
On the 25th Junuary, 1872, Vidyasagar reformed a Committee for the management of the Institution, consisting of himself, Dwarka Nath Mitter, and Kristo Das Paul as members. Two days subsequent to the formation of this Committee an application was again made for the affiliation of the Institution to the Calcutta University up to the First Arts Examination. The application ran as follows:—
"To
- "J. Sutcliffe Esq. M. A.
- "Registrar to the Calcutta University.
"Sir,
"We, the Managers of the Metropolitan Institution, request that you will be so good as to lay before the Syndicate this our application for its affiliation to the Calcutta University up to the First Arts Examination.
"As required by the rules for affiliation, we hereby declare that the Institution has the means of educating up to the First Arts Examination standard.
"We annex a statement showing the provision contemplated to be made for the instruction of the students up to the same standard after the sanction for affiliation is accorded. We beg leave to state that we will employ senior scholars of the pre-university era or graduates of the Calcutta University as professors of the Institution.
"We hereby assure the Syndicate that the Institution, if affiliated, will be maintained on the proposed footing for five years, and trust that this assurance will be deemed satisfactory.
| "Calcutta Metropolitan Institution "The 25th January 1872. |
(Sd) „ „ |
"We have the honour to be, "Sir, "Your most obedient Servants "Isvar Chanda Sarma, "Dwaraka Nath Mitter "Krito Dass Pal |
| "Countersigned by Mem- bers of the Senate, "Calcutta University |
(Sd) "Rama Nath Tagor "Rajendra Lala Mitra |
"List of the Instructive staff to be entertained.
| Professor of the English Language. | One |
| "Sanskrit | Ditto |
| "Mathematics | Ditto |
| "History and Philosophy | Ditto |
| (Sd) | "Isvara Chandra Sarma |
| „ | "Dwaraka Nath Mitter |
| „ | "Kristo Dass Pal" |
Vidyasagar was not content with merely sending the application to the Registrar of the University, for he knew that the European members of the Syndicate were all against private enterprises of the kind. He, therefore, very wisely addressed to E. C. Bayley, one of the most influential members of the Syndicate, the following letter soliciting his cordial support to the movement:—
"My dear Sir,
"I beg to inform you that we have this day sent in our application for the affiliation of our Institution to the University for submission to the Syndicate at their meeting at this afternoon. I need hardly repeat that I would not have moved in this matter, did I not feel persuaded that we would have your kind support. Last year I took no action, because I could not manage to see you. I do not know how the other members of the Syndicate would feel disposed, but I may mention for your information that one of the managers of the Institution saw Mr. Sutcliffe and also Mr. Atkinson, and the latter told him that although he had objections to the course proposed, still he had made up his mind not to oppose the application. If it should be urged at the Syndicate that the character of the instruction to be imparted in the Institution would be inferior inasmuch as the instructive staff would enlist exclusively of natives, I would take the liberty to remind you that the Sanskrit College, which teaches up to the B. A. Standard, has an exclusively native staff, and that our Professors would be drawn from the same class of men. We feel confident, that native Professors, if selected with care and judgment, would be found quite competent, but should we from experience feel the necessity of entertaining an English Professor for instruction in the English language in which alone English aid might be necessary, we would certainly employ one—our object, it is needless for me to mention, is the good of the Institution and we will spare no means to accomplish it. I believe there is a desire in certain quarters to know the scale of pay we will allow to our Professors, that is a matter I submit, between the employer and the employee, and the affiliation rules, so far as I can understand them, do not require such details. It will be our aim to combine efficiency with economy, and as I have spent, I may say, my whole life in managing schools, I hope you will allow me to exercise my own discretion in selecting Professors and regulating their pay.
"I can not too earnestly impress upon your mind that we strongly feel the necessity of converting our Institution into a High School. The high rate of schooling charged at the Presidency College is prohibitory to many middle class youths, while their parents being opposed to their boys being sent to Missonary Colleges, they are obliged to give up academic education after matriculation. This Institution would be a great boon to them.
"The managers of the Institution are myself, Justice Dwarka Nath Mitter, and Babu Kristo Dass Pal. We are satisfied that the means at our command will be quite sufficient for all the purposes of the Institution. But should any deficiency arise, we will be prepared to supply it from our own pockets. I trust our assurance for the maintenance of the Institution on the proposed footing for five years will be deemed satisfactory by the Syndicate.
"Trusting to be excused for the trouble,
| "The 27th January 1872, | 'I remain, My Dear Sir, "Yours sincerely | ||
| (Sd). Isvara Chandra Sarma." | |||
"E. C, Bayley Esq., &c. &c.
This time the application was granted, and the Institution was made a Second Grade College, that is, permission was given to the Institution to train up students for the First Examination in Arts. But Vidyasagar was now beset with difficulties and obstacles. Even his friends doubted the efficiency of the Institution to impart college instruction properly, and they tried to dissuade him from what they thought his fruitless attempts. These rumours tended to dishearten the students, who became fearful of their success. Sometimes their guardians called on Vidyasagar and vexed him with various questions on the subject. It is said, that continued vexations of this kind perplexed him very much. At last, unable to bear them, he appeared one day in the Institution, and told the students of the First Arts Class, that they were free to go away to some other college, if they were afraid of their success. But the boys one and all declared that they would never quit the Institution, come what might. Vidyasagar was very pleased, and assured them that he was anxious for the success of his school, and that he would take every means to make the Institution as efficient as any other college in Bengal. In fact, he did as he said. He engaged the most distinguished native scholars of the time as professors to his college, It must be admitted, to his great credit, that he never employed European teachers in his school.
At the First Arts Examination of 1874, the Metropolitan Institution stood second in order of merit. Every one was amazed at the brilliant success of the native college at its first appearance, and even Mr. Sutcliffe, the Principal of the Presidency College and Registrar of the Calcutta University was fain to admit that "the Pandit has done wonders." When the result of the examination was out, Vidyasagar was not in Calcutta; he was at his sanitarium, Karmatar. No sooner did he see the result in the Government Gazette, than he hastened to Calcutta, and first of all repaired to the house of the youth, Jogendra Chandra Basil, who had topped the list of successful candidates from the Institution. He congratulated Jogendra Chandra on his eminent success, and asked the youth to call at his own house. When the student appeared before him, he opened his Library, and taking out a complete set of Scott's Waverley Novels, bound in leather adorned with gilt letters of his name, made a gift of it to the youth as prize. He inscribed on the book, with his own hand, as follows:—
"Awarded
"To Jogindra Chandra Bose at the close of his brilliant career as a student in the Metropolitan Institution,
(Sd.) "Isvar Chandra Sarma,
"8th January, 1875."
The exceptionally brilliant success of the Metropolitan attracted many students from other colleges, and the school gradually rose to a very high eminence and prosperity, which encouraged Vidyasagar to raise it to the highest standard. In 1879, the Institution was made a first grade college, and in 1881 students were first sent up to the B. A. examination. Sixteen students came out successful in the first year, and obtained the degree of Bachelor of Arts. The names of the 16 graduated students are given below in Alphabetical order:—Bandyopadhyay Annada Prasad, Kalipada, Kumudnath, Nanda Lal; Bhattacharya Akshay Kumar, Siva Prasanna; Chakravarti Jadunath, Kunjavihari, Purna Chandra; Chattopadhyay Gopal Chandra; Datta Jogendra Nath, Nabin Chanda; Mandal Pran Krishna; Maitra Hem Chandra; Ray Jagnesvar; Ray Chaudhuri Asutosh.
In the space of 12 years from 1881 to 1892, 498 students of the Metropolitan Institution obtained the B. A. degree, and 33 youth obtained the M. A. degree. Since 1885, the honours course has been introduced into the B. A. class instead of the M. A. class. In the 8 years from 1885 to 1892, 86 pupils of this Institution obtained the gree of honours with B. A. In 1882, the Metropolitan Institution was affiliated to the University of Calcutta for the instruction of the Law Course. In the next ten years 513 youths obtained the B. L. degree. Out of this number three topped the list in 1883, 1885, and 1886, and won a prize of 100 Rupees each. This must be considered a most satisfactory result for a private institution under native managers and Indian professors. Such an extraordinary success was due to Vidyasagar's able management and tact in the selection of teachers. He never entertained European professors. He selected for his professors Indians of most solid attainments, whose names, particulary that of Babu Prosanna Kumar Lahiri, should be perpetuated along with the Institution.
Vidyasagar had great abilities at management of educational institutions. We have seen how he introduced various reforms into the Sanskrit College and made it eminently successful. He had one great merit; whatever he handled, he applied himself heart and soul to its improvement. When Vidyasagar took over the management of the Metropolitan Institution on his own shoulders, he devoted to it all his energy, attention, and experience, and soon brought about many reforms, which raised it to such conspicuous eminence. He paid the teachers of his college and schools handsomely, for he never tried to profit himself by the income of these institutions. We have already said that he was always averse to infliction of corporal punishment to school boys, and he interdicted such punishment altogether from his institutions. Mention has been made before how he compelled one of the teachers to retire from his service for disregarding his injunctions in this respect. His instruction to the schoolmasters was that they should never resort to bodily chastisement, but try to rectify the boys by kind and gentle words and treatment. When any boy was incorrigible or refractory, Vidyasagar would drive him out. Allusion has been made before how he once drove out all the boys of the Second Class of the Syambazar Branch of the Metropolitan Institution. He was very fond of the School-boys. It is said that on one occasion, the students of his school prayed to him for a holiday on account of the Paus festival, Vidyasagar granted their prayer, and, at the same time, asked them where they would get their cakes from, since most of them had their homes in the interior of the country, a great way off Calcutta. The boys replied humorously that they would come to his (Vidyasagar's) house for cakes. He was greatly delighted at the idea, and fed all the boys sumptuously with cakes of various kinds.
Vidyasagar had another very great merit. He superintended every thing personally. He was never content to rely solely on others. He often paid surprise visit to his schools. He had no fixed day or time of paying these visits. It generally happened that while a teacher was seriously engaged in imparting instruction, Vidyasagar stepped slowly into the room and stood behind the teacher hearing his lectures, and as soon as the teacher saw him he tried to rise from his seat to receive the mighty visitor. But Vidyasagar would prevent him, saying,—'Do not rise from your seat, but go on with your duty. In trying to show me respect you may fail in your own duty.' If he saw any boy slumbering in the class, he would at once remove him from the class and provide for his sleep in some seperate place. These surprise visits had the effect of keeping both the teachers and the students always alert and attentive to their respective works. Whenever a teacher or student called on him at his residence after school hours, he would leave everything aside, and first of all feed him with refreshments. It is said that on such occasions he would peel and divide Mangoes and other fruits with his own hands, and feed his visitor with them sumptuously. If any of the servants of the Institution was ill, he would take great care of him and provide for his proper medical treatment. When Kasi, the old porter of the Institution died of Carbuncle, Vidyasagar was very sorry, for he had not been told of his illness, and consequently no provisions had been made for the poor man's treatment. Henceforth he engaged a medical practitioner for the teachers and other servants of the Institution.
We have already said that the monthly rate of tuition-fee in this Institution was 3 rupees per head. But those poor boys who could not afford to pay even this small fee, were allowed by him to read as free-students. Sometimes unscrupulous persons took undue advantage of his kindness and deceived him in this respect. On one occasion, a wealthy man of Calcutta falsely recommended a boy to him as very poor and unable to pay his school-fee. Vidyasagar kindly allowed tho boy to be admitted as a free student. In fact, the boy was the rich man's brother-in-law (wife's brother), but Vidyasagar did not know it then. Latterly, one day, when he paid a visit the Institution he saw that the poor boy was very gaudily dressed and was eating rich refreshments. He was quite surprised and on enquiry came to know the true story of the boy. He at once drove the boy out of the school.
There is no reckoning how many unscrupulous, deceitful persons outraged on his simplicity and kindness and cheated him out of his money. On one occasion, he received a letter purporting to have been written by a lower form student of the Uttarpara school. The contents of the letter were to the effect;—'I am a parentless, poor boy. I have no one in the world to call my own. A kind neighbour provides me with my boarding. I have been allowed to read in the Uttarapara School as a free-student. I have not a single pice to pay the ferryman, and cross the river to visit your feet. If you should be pleased to send me the following books, I may prosecute my studies for this year.' Vidyasagar at once despatched the required books to the address of the boy at the Uttarapara School. Every succeeding year, the boy wrote to him, saying that he was promoted to the next higher class, and asking for some books appropriate to that form, and every year, the kind-hearted Vidyasagar sent him the required books. Thus the boy deceived him continually for five years. A few days after books had been sent on for the last time, the Head Master of the Uttarpara School paid a visit to our hero. In course of conversation, Vidyasagar asked the visitor if he knew a certain boy of the name of __________ reading in the first class and how he fared with his studies. The visitor did not know the boy, and he said that there was no boy of that name either in his first or second class. Vidyasagar said in a humorous tone,—'You are a very good master, I see! The boy has been asking me for books for these five years on the representation of being promoted annually to the next higher class from the fifth to the first, and I have been sending him in the required books regularly to the address of your school, and yet you say, there is no boy of that name in your school. You do not seem to know all the boys.' The Head Master was somewhat abashed, and promised to make enquiries and let him know the result in no time. The next day, the Head Master enquired for the boy in all the classes from the highest down to the lowest, but failed to find him out. At last, it transpired that there was a bookseller of that name close to the school. On pressure being put to the man, he admitted that he had got the books fraudulently and disposed of them. The Head Master lost no time in informing our hero of what had really happened. Vidyasagar was mortified at the news, but took no steps to have the culprit punished. He was only heard to say,—'How can that land expect to improve, which gives birth to such deceitful children?'
To the infinite credit of Vidyasagar, it must be admitted by all, that he was the pioneer of private enterprise in this respect. A number of schools and colleges have afterwards been started in imitation of the Metropolitan Institution, and their eminent success at the present day is due to their emulation of their eldest sister. The Hon'ble C. E. Buckland in his 'Bengal under the Lieutenant Governors' says,—"The establishment of the Metropolitan Institution in Calcutta in 1864, and its successful working under his management as a first grade College, are well-known to the educational history of Bengal; it was the prototype and pattern of many similar Institutions. The Metropolitan Institution had an attached school of 800 boys, besides 4 or 5 branches in different quarters of the town of Calcutta. * * ****
The magnificent building of the Metropolitan Institution was erected by him" (Vidyasagar) "at a cost of a lakh and a half of rupees; the expenditure was primarily incurred at his own cost; though it was afterwards recouped in a large measure from the surplus income of the College and its branch schools." Such is the eulogium bestowed on Vidyasagar's management of educational institutions by a European high official of the Government of India.
In 1864, appeared his Akhyanmanjari Part I. It is a Bengali Reader for young children, full of instructive lessons. The language of the book is as excellent as that of his former publications of the same class.
- ↑ "(1) Babu Ananda Krishna Bose, one of the most distinguished senior scholars of the Hindu College. He is a man of solid and extensive acquirements.
"(2) Babu Herumbo Lal Gosain, graduated in the Calcutta University in January, 1864.
"(3) Babu Mohesh Chunder Chatterjee, a distinguished senior scholar of the Sanskrit College."