the meaning of the words; I ask them questions arising from the subject, and put them in the way of questioning their scholars; Mr. Reichardt, who superintended twelve Vernacular Schools, containing 700 boys, gives, as the result of his experience, the following discouraging circumstances connected with the Vernacular Schools of that day: “It is optional with the boys whether they come or not, as the parents do not compel them. Festivals and marriages give perpetual interruptions. Conversation at home is like a mildew on any sound principles or good manners: nearly all the good seed sown at schools is choked by the bad practices in which the boys’ relations and friends live. The teachers are indolent.”
Miss Cooke began, in connection with the Church Missionary Society, and under the patronage of the Marchioness of Hastings, Female Schools in Calcutta in 1821. Though previous to that some desultory efforts had been made by a few young ladies; in 1822 she had twenty-two Schools and 400 pupils. The Central School was founded in 1824, and in 1837 the Agarpara Orphan Refuge.
About 1822 the Christian Knowledge Society began the system of “School Circles” each circle containing five Bengali Schools and one Central School. One of those circles was called the Tallygunj, another the Kasipore, another the Howrah Circle; in 1834 they contained 697 pupils, but being subsequently transferred to the Propagation Society, the funds of the latter were appropriated to other operations, and the Schools were given up.
These are the first instances of Circle Schools which are now becoming increasingly popular in Bengal.[1]
A few desultory efforts continued to be made in subsequent years, a battle raged between the Orientalists and Anglicists, and the masses were overlooked. Lord W. Bentinck with real sympathy for the people and for works of peace gave encouragement to roads and education.
Mr. Adam, originally a Missionary, came forward, and, on the 2nd of January 1835, addressed a letter on the subject of popular education to Lord W. Bentinck, to which his Lordship gave a reply on the 20th of the same month. The letter and Lord W. Bentinck’s Minute are to be found in pp. 1 to 13 of Adam’s Report.
Adam’s system of Vernacular Education was based pretty much on the old municipal system of the Hindus, by which each village had its Chief, its accounts, its priest, smith, carpenter, potter, barber, washerman, poet, doctor, and, though last, not least, its
- ↑ There were in the Kasipore Circle three Schools with an average attendance of 220 boys; in the Tallygunj Circle seven Schools and 550 pupils; in the Howrah Circle six Schools and 652 pupils as an average daily attendance. There was a Guru to each, while the Pundit and Superintending Missionary visited the Schools by turns. Scripture, Grammar, Geography and Natural Philosophy were taught Each School cost Rupees 15 monthly; the Guru was paid according to the number and proficiency of the scholars in the first four classes.
