Adam's Reports on Vernacular Education in Bengal and Behar

Front matter

ADAM’S REPORTS

on

VERNACULAR EDUCATION

Introduction

INTRODUCTION

BRIEF VIEW

of the

PAST AND PRESENT STATE

of

VERNACULAR EDUCATION IN BENGAL.

Adam’s Reports on Vernacular Education in Bengal have long been held in high esteem for their valuable statistics and researches on a subject of great social and political importance—the intellectual condition of the masses of Bengal. The investigations were conducted with great diligence, and extended over a space of three years, at an expense to Government of more than a lac of rupees. In some points, as was to be expected from the difficulty of the enquiry, there are inaccuracies, but, on the whole, they afford a mass of information of great value.

As more energetic measures are about to be adopted towards the extension of Vernacular Education in Bengal, and as the Reports have long been out of print, it has been thought desirable to re-print those parts of them which bear on this vital question.

But as Adam’s Reports close with 1838, it has been deemed necessary to give a resumè of what has been done in Bengal since that period towards carrying out a system of Vernacular Education, as well as to glance at its previous condition.

Mr. Ellerton at established some Vernacular Schools in the beginning of this century, and in the leisure of his Factory composed various Bengali books for the use of his scholars. In 1814, Mr. , a Missionary, began his first Vernacular School in the Dutch Fort of . In June 1815 he had 16 schools and 951 pupils, which soon increased to twenty-six schools, besides some ten others six miles below Chinsura, visited by him and his assistants sixty times every three months. In 1815 Lord made a monthly grant of Rupees 600 to the schools, and stated in a minute on the Schools, “the humble, but valuable, class of village schoolmasters claim the first place in this discussion.” In 1816 there were 2,136 pupils, and a school for instructing teachers was commenced. In 1818 there were thirty-six schools and 3,000 pupils—but Mr. May was cut off by death, and Mr. Pearson then took charge. Mr. May’s labors excited such interest, that after his death money arrived in Bengal from friends in America for the support of his schools. Mr. , Secretary to Government in his “History of Calcutta Religious and Benevolent Institutions,” remarks—“it may be safely asserted that the foundation of more extensive and higher knowledge is surely laid in the establishment of those schools;” they were all conducted on the Bell and Lancaster system, which Mr. May had introduced into them with great success. Government availed itself of the services of Messrs. Pearson and Harley, who were Missionaries, to establish a number of Vernacular Schools between and . Crowds attended the schools, but their efforts, through not having suitable successors, were not followed up. Yet the seeds of knowledge they sowed in the Vernacular have fructified into the English schools which are now in Chinsura. Some of the best Educational Works in the Vernacular were composed for those schools. In 1819 Messrs. Pearson and Harley had under their superintendence at Chinsura seventeen schools and 1,500 children; at twelve schools and 1,266 children, all conducted on the Madras system, and supported by Government at an expense per mensem of Rupees 800. Dr. Bell’s “Instructions for modelling schools” were translated and introduced, Mr. Pearson writes—“I have heard it spoken of by the Natives as wonderful to see a boy in tears at losing his place in the class.” The Court of Directors made a special grant to those schools, in which the pupils learned more rapidly than in the common schools.

Lushington, in his “History of Calcutta Institutions” gives the following notice of Mr. May’s exertions:—

“At the beginning of July 1811, this benevolent and meritorious individual, while residing at Chinsura as a Dissenting minister, with a very narrow income, opened a school in his dwelling-house, proposing gratuitously to teach the natives reading, writing, and arithmetic. On the first day sixteen boys attended. In the course of the month of August the scholars became too numerous to be accommodated under his lowly roof; a spacious apartment being allotted to him in the Fort by Mr. Forbes, the Commissioner of Chinsura, the list of attendance at the commencement of October had swelled to ninety-two. In January 1815 Mr. May opened a village or branch school, at a short distance from Chinsura, and in the following month of June, not twelve months since the commencement of his undertaking, he had established sixteen schools, including the central one at Chinsura, to which 951 pupils resorted.

“Mr. May encountered some slight impediments in the commencement of his labours from the prejudices of the natives; chiefly, however, among the old teachers of the indigenous schools, who, from interested motives, naturally did not fail to foment the apprehensions at first entertained by some, that he intended to convert them to Christianity. His wise and conciliatory measures, however, soon removed distrust from their minds, and satisfied them that he meditated no interference with their religious opinions. The objection of the school-masters did not long exist, for the extension of the branch schools on the new principle, ultimately created a demand for additional teachers, who were, in many cases, provided from the class above mentioned. Although the opposition alluded to was ultimately overcome, it must not be supposed that the establishment of the schools was achieved without considerable difficulty: the introduction alone of a new plan of education among an ignorant people, notorious for their indolence, apathy, and attachment to established habits, involving frequent journeys, visits, and conferences, effected in an hostile climate, and with very imperfect accommodation, required no common exertion of patience, self-denial, fortitude, and perseverance. Add to this the labour of superintendence, and Mr. May’s indefatigable efforts may be justly appreciated. The branch schools were situated, some of them ten miles above, and some six miles below, Chinsura; nevertheless, Mr. May and his assistants contrived to visit twenty-six branch schools sixty times in three months.

“The success of Mr. May, and his unexceptionable mode of intercourse with the natives having been brought by Mr. Forbes to the notice of the Government, a monthly sum of 600 rupees was granted to enable Mr. May to prosecute his undertaking, Mr, Forbes being desired to superintend the detailed application of the funds.

“Towards the latter end of 1815, the attendance on Mr. May’s establishments was somewhat diminished by the formation of several schools by natives, partly from motives of ostentation, and partly with views of opposition to Mr. May; but it soon became manifest that his plan of education was as inoffensive to their prejudices, as it was superior to their own mode of instruction, and its progress now exceeded his most sanguine expectation.

“The attendance of the children in the Fort being inconvenient, the central school was removed to a short distance from Chinsura, and Mr. May, adverting to the increase of the schools, and the great augmentation of the number of children on the books, which amounted, early in 1816, to 2,136, projected the formation of a school for teachers, as necessary to the extension of his plan, and the perpetuation of the means of instruction. A few youths were accordingly taken on probation, their education, food and clothes being furnished to them free of expense. After performing for a time the duties of monitors at the Central school, and receiving more especial instructions from Mr. May, they were sent to the village schools to learn accurately the plan observed there, and thus they became qualified to discharge the duties of instructors themselves. So popular was the latter institution, that a blind man performed a journey of three days on foot for the purpose of securing a place in it for his nephew.

“Nor did the higher class of natives in the vicinity withhold their confidence from the general scheme of education. The Rajah of Burdwan, and two other individuals of consideration, each established a school, the former of whom subsequently transferred his school to English superintendence. From the earliest stage, one-third of the children in attendance at the schools were Brahmans. At first a Brahman boy would not sit down on the same mat with one of another caste. The teachers also made the same objection, which has of late been voluntarily relinquished.

“In August 1818 Mr. May’s course of usefulness was arrested by death; but this excellent man was not removed from the scene of his labours until he had witnessed how complete was their present beneficial operation, to which satisfaction he might have added, had his modest and unassuming nature admitted of it, the anticipation that future generations would be indebted to his care for their redemption from ignorance and degradation. At the time of his decease, the existence of thirty-six schools, attended by above 3,000 natives, both Hindus and Mohammedans, attested his zeal, his prudence, and benevolent perseverance. Mr. May was succeeded in the charge of the Government Schools by Mr. Pearson, who, assisted by Mr. Harley, followed his footsteps with equal ability and judgment. The endeavours of these gentlemen were, at first, chiefly directed to the introduction of further improvements in the native education, the plan of instruction approaching, as nearly as possible, to that adopted in the National Society’s Schools in England, with the modifications suggested by local circumstances, and some ingenious and expedient additions made by the new managers.”

The work of Vernacular education in connexion with the Church Missionary Society, was begun in Burdwan under the superintendence of Captain Stewart in 1816, by his establishing two Vernacular Schools; in 1818 they increased to ten, containing 1,000 children, costing monthly 240 rupees. Captain Stewart, at the commencement of his labours, encountered considerable opposition: reports were industriously circulated among the natives that it was his design to ship all the children to England, and it was then sufficient objection to a book being read if it contained the name of Jesus, and a case occurred near Burdwan where a Hindu, rather than give up his child to be educated by the missionary, left it out at night to be devoured by jackals! There were five Brahmanical schools in Burdwan, the masters of which were afraid that their own institutions should be broken up by the Missionary School; they, therefore, fulminated curses against any natives who should send their children to Captain Stewart’s schools, but he chose his teachers from the ablest natives in the villages where his schools were to be established, and thus he disarmed opposition by the bait of interest, and the five Brahmanical schools were soon abandoned. The introduction of printed books into the schools at first caused some alarm; the natives apprehended it was some plan for ensnaring their children and destroying their caste! as all instruction was previously conveyed through manuscript, and it was remarked of the village masters, ‘if you put a book into their hands, they are unable to read it, except with great difficulty, and are still less able to understand its general contents’. Captain Stewart carried out the system of the late Mr. May, of Chinsura, with improvements of his own. Besides the outlines of astronomy, and of the History of England, which were introduced into these schools, Captain Stewart also caused instruction to be given “in some few of the preambles of the Honorable Company’s Regulations, which are particularly calculated to convince the people of India that Government anxiously desire to promote their comfort and advantage. In reading these, their first and most deeply-rooted impressions are in favour of their rulers, and submission will consequently follow from attachment and love.”

The Rev. T. Robertson, in 1818, makes the following remarks respecting the mode of tuition:—

“Once a month the head classes from all the schools are brought into Burdwan by their respective teachers, when a general examination takes place. It is thus seen which of the schools has made the greatest progress. Two classes are confronted with each other, and examined by the visitor in all the subjects learned during the past month. After this the boys are allowed to question each other. The highest boy of one class puts his question to the highest boy of the other; if he cannot reply, it passes down to each in succession, until it reaches the last. If any boy is able to solve it, he takes precedency; but if not, a mark is made of the failure. This class is now at liberty in its turn to put a question to the other which, if not answered, is noticed as in the former case. In the end it appears who is the conquered party. It generally happens that the vanquished party now challenges the opposite class to contend in some other subject; and thus a new trial of strength commences. As the children are in the habit of writing from a thesis, they are on this occasion publicly tried as to their progress. A thesis being given, each boy writes it down on his slate, and endeavours to arrange his thoughts on the subject. When all have finished, their productions are read aloud, which excites much emulation, and affords at the same time great amusement. Nothing can exceed the animation and eagerness of the boys to excel in these trials. Indeed, we should look in vain for an equal degree of emulation in Europe.

“In our seminaries the children know of no precedency but that which is derived from merit. The Brahman sits by the side of his ignoble neighbour, and must be content oftentimes to stand below him in his class. On the contrary, the boy of inferior caste, if he excel the Brahman, which he oftentimes does, begins to believe a maxim true which he learnt in his school book, that God hath not created men with rights differing from each other, but that he hath created all men of one blood to dwell on all the face of the earth.”

When the Calcutta School Society undertook, in 1819, the management of a number of Vernacular Schools in Calcutta, it sent its superintendent for five months to Burdwan to learn the system of Captain Stewart’s schools, as he educated a greater number of children with fewer teachers, and at half the expense of the old system.

Writing by dictation, and the giving the morals of fables out of their class books, also formed a part of the course of instruction. “The boys themselves delight in the lively application of a fable, and the attempt to give it sharpens their wit, and improves their language,—moral truths come to them with a sort of fascinating conviction, when dressed up in the form of a fable.” The following questions are a specimen of this mode of instruction:—“What is it unwise to do? To do anything without consideration.—Example: The Lion and the Fox. How is a man’s want of ability shown? By his attempting to do what is beyond his capacity.—Example: The Spider and Bee. How may we promote our own happiness? By giving help to our needy neighbour.—Example: The Dove and Bee.”

In 1817 Dr. published a valuable work “Hint relative to Native Schools;” it gave the sketch of a system of National Education: one object he laid down was—

“A peasant, or an artificer, thus rendered capable of writing as well as reading his own language with propriety, and made acquainted with the principles of arithmetic, would be less liable to become a prey to fraud among his own countrymen, and far better able to claim for himself that protection from oppression, which it is the desire of every enlightened government to grant.”

Besides the ordinary reading, writing, and arithmetic, were to be taught “a concise but perspicuous account of the Solar System preceded by so much of the laws of motion, of attraction and gravity, as might be necessary to render the solar system plain and intelligible. These ideas, however, should not be communicated in the form of a treatise, but in that of simple axioms delivered in short and perspicuous sentences. A compendious view of Geography, and a number of popular truths and facts relative to Natural Philosophy were taught. In the present improved state of knowledge a thousand things have been ascertained relative to light, heat, air, water, to meteorology, mineralogy, chemistry, and natural history, of which the ancients had but a partial knowledge, and of which the natives of the east have as yet scarcely the faintest idea. These facts, now so clearly ascertained, could be conveyed in a very short compass of language, although the process of reasoning, which enables the mind to account for them, occupies many volumes. Imparting to them that knowledge relative to themselves, to their responsibility for their actions, their state both here and hereafter, and the grand principles of piety, justice, and humanity, which may leaven their minds from their earliest youth.” Tables printed in large type and pasted on boards were to be suspended round the room, and to be used for reading exercises. One peculiarity of the plan was—

“Instruction of a higher order was to be given from dictation. The monitor, with the text book in his hand, was to pronounce a portion of each sentence audibly and deliberately, each boy writing it down in his copy book. When the lesson of the day was completed, it was to be revised by the monitor, and the number of errors inserted at the foot of the page. Each boy was then to read it aloud in succession, sentence by sentence. The advantages of this scheme of instruction were obvious; one printed book served for a dozen children; they made progress in penmanship and orthography, and also acquired a facility of reading and writing their own language. A spirit of animation and emulation was created, and instruction was combined with pleasure. The most important facts and truths, thus written from dictation and read over three or four times, could not fail to remain deeply impressed on the memory.”

The expense of each School was reckoned at 16 rupees a month. They were successful; 100 Schools were established among the Natives; in the first year 8,000 rupees were received in subscriptions and donations.

“They had established an experimental Normal School at , in which the masters then employed by them had been, to a certain extent, trained to their new duties. The first school opened on this plan was at the village of Nabobgunge, about four miles distant from Serampore. To conciliate the inhabitants, they had been desired to select a master themselves, whom they sent to the training school. Village after village had followed the example, and despatched the individual of their choice for instruction to Serampore. Nineteen schools had been established within the circle of a few miles, and all at the request of the people themselves. In some instances, men of influence had offered their own houses, and in other cases the family temple, for a school-room; houses had in some places been erected by men of property in the hope that they would be rented. Children were attracted to the schools from the most respectable families, and one particular school numbered ten Brahman youths. In one instance, a body of more than twenty boys came to Serampore from a distance of many miles, accompanied by the principal inhabitants of the village, to solicit the establishment of a school.”

Previous to 1817, , a name dear to the Natives, a watchmaker by trade, instead of retiring to Europe, had devoted his remaining years and savings to Native Education. He, in conjunction with the late Raja , a Sanscrit scholar of European celebrity, employed much time in improving the existing Vernacular Schools. One of his pupils, who studied at one of the Vernacular Schools established by him in Calcutta, thus describes his efforts—

“Mr. Hare’s educational efforts were directed in the first place toward the encouragement of the Vernacular. He supplemented the deficiencies of numerous Guru patshalas by the employment of inspecting pundits and the grant of printed books. Periodical examinations were also held at Raja Radhakant Deva’s Garden House, and prizes given. He then established a sort of Central Vernacular School directly under the School Society. This was a large institution and numbered about 200 boys. It was the best Vernacular School of the day. For the encouragement of regular attendance, each child got eight annas a month if he was not absent a single day during that month. If absent only one day he got six annas, if two days four annas, and if he were absent more than two days then he got nothing. Distinguished lads from the Vernacular Schools were sent to the Hindoo College, in which the Society always maintained 30 boys. An English School was afterwards established adjoining the Central Vernacular—a number of select boys of the Vernacular School would attend the English classes also. It was thus—From sunrise until 9 a. m., Vernacular; from 10½ a. m. to 2½ p. m., English; from 3½ p. m. to sunset, Vernacular again.”

In 1817, the Calcutta School Book Society was founded to prepare and publish cheap books for Native schools; however, this Society has not yet given cheap books adapted to the masses, as no books previous to 1817, were used in the indigenous schools. In May 1821 this Society received from Government a donation of Rupees 7,000, and a monthly grant of Rupees 500.

In 1818, the Calcutta School Society was founded (under the presidency of the Marquess of Hastings) with the following object:—

“That its design be to assist and improve existing schools, and to establish and support any further schools and seminaries which may be requisite; with a view to the more general diffusion of useful knowledge amongst the inhabitants of India of every description, especially within the provinces subject to the Presidency of Fort William.

“That it be also an object of this Society to select pupils of distinguished talents and merit from elementary and other schools, and to provide for their instruction in seminaries of a higher degree; with the view of forming a body of qualified teachers and translators, who may be instrumental in enlightening their countrymen, and improving the general system of education. When the funds of the Institution may admit of it, the maintenance and tuition of such pupils, in distinct seminaries, will be an object of importance.”

In 1821, it had 115 Vernacular Schools, containing 3,828 scholars, under its patronage, i.e. it gave books, examining and superintending the schools by its officers and agents. In 1823, they received a monthly grant of Rupees 500 from Government, and worked admirably until 1833.

Adam’s Report, pp. 21, 22, 23, gives a fuller detail respecting it.

In 1819, the London Missionary Society directed its attention to Vernacular schools, “impressed with a sense of the exceeding great importance of well conducted schools in this country.” They established them in 1820 at and other places in the neighbourhood of , but there were strong prejudices at that time amongst the natives against attending schools where the Scriptures were read. Still in 1820 a Vernacular School attended by 25 boys was opened in a bungalow chapel at .

The Calcutta Church Missionary Association had for many years 600 children under instruction in their Vernacular Schools in Calcutta. The Baptist Missionary Society had also several hundreds.

In 1821, the Calcutta School Society transferred some of its schools to the Church Missionary Society, and Mr. Jetter became Superintendent of them. An examination of 600 boys took place in 1822; Sir , the Chief Justice, who was one of the founders of the Hindu College, presided. Mr. Jetter states, in 1822, that the mention of the name of Jesus in a book has kept several boys away from school; that on introducing writing by dictation into a class, he offered one boy a tract as a prize for his good dictation,—the boy flung it on the ground saying it contained the words of Jesus Christ. In one of Mr. Jetter’s schools, the teacher objected to instruct the boys out of a book in which the name occurred, on which a Brahman stood up and said—do not be afraid, I have read the book, and am not a Christian: this gave confidence, and the book was read. The Church Missionary Association in 1824 took the greater part of these schools under their management. In 1825 Mr. Reichardt, on every Saturday evening, explained to the pundits the books taught by them in the schools: their attention is increasing, and their inquiries often lead to important discussions; they are alternately instructed in the scriptures, the catechism, and geography; one of them reads a sentence, after which he asks the other 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 , 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 , another the 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.

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 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 village or hedge School-master called a Guru Mahashay. The village system was a brotherhood, it has survived the ruins of Empires, as Lord wrote, "Hindee, Pathan, Mogul, Mahratta, Sikh and English are all masters in turn—but the village community remains the same.” Bengal is an exception.

PunishmentsByTeachersMr. Adam calculated there were more than 100,000 of these schools in Bengal and Behar, and that the great object ought to be not to supersede, but to supplement them. He has furnished in his Reports full information of the subjects taught, the teachers’ pay and emoluments, but one peculiar feature in those schools he has omitted—the singular punishments resorted to. We extract from the Calcutta Review No. IV., p. 331, a description of 15 different kinds of punishments used; these, however are now gradually falling into disuse—

“A boy is made to bend forward with his face toward the ground; a heavy brick is then placed on his back, and another on his neck; and should he let either of them fall, within the prescribed period of half an hour or so, he is punished with the cane.

“A boy is condemned to stand for half an hour or an hour on one foot; and, should he shake or quiver or let down the uplifted leg before the time, he is severely punished.

“A boy is made to sit on the floor in an exceedingly constrained position, with one leg turned up behind his neck.

“He is made to sit with his feet resting on two bricks, and his head bent down between both legs, with his hands twisted round each leg so as painfully to catch the ears.

“A boy is made to hang for a few minutes, with his head downwards, from the branch of a neighbouring tree.

“His hands and feet are bound with cords, to these members so bound a rope is fastened, and the boy is then hoisted up by means of a pully attached to the beams or rafters of the school.

“Nettles, dipped in water, are applied to the body, which becomes irritated and swollen; the pain is excruciating and often lasts a whole day; but, however great the itching and the pain, the sufferer is not allowed to rub or touch the skin for relief, under the dread of a flagellation in addition.

“The boy is put up in a sack along with some nettles, or a cat, or some other noisomecreature, and then rolled along the ground.

“The fingers of both hands are inserted across each other with a stick between and two sticks without drawn close together and tied.

“A boy is made to measure so many cubits on the ground, by marking it along with the tip of his nose.