perceive the tendency of the one, and to appreciate the meaning of the other, some of the most precious, because the earliest, opportunities of instruction will be irretrievably lost, and the memory will be occupied in acquiring a knowledge of rules and definitions, at a time when the understanding ought to be investigating truth, or applying to a practical use the technical information which it had previously amassed.

Winchmore Hill Academy.

S. SKINNER.

MEMORANDUM OF THE

PAST AND PRESENT STATE OF GOVERNMENT EDUCATION IN THE BENGAL AND AGRA PRESIDENCIES.

A MAHOMEDAN College was established at Calcutta A.D. 1781, and a Sanscrit one at Benares A.D. 1792. The course of study at these institutions was purely oriental, and its object was to provide a regular supply of qualified Hindoo and Mahomedan law officers for the judicial administration. At the renewal of the East India Company's charter in 1813, £10,000 per annum was set apart "for the revival and promotion of literature, and the encouragement of the learned natives of India, and for the introduction and promotion of a knowledge of the sciences among the inhabitants of the British territories." So great, however, was the apathy with which the subject was at that time regarded in India, that it was not till 1823 that any measures were adopted to carry -out the intentions of the British legislature. On July 17th of that year, the Governor-general resolved that 'there should be constituted a General Committee of Public Instruction for the purpose of ascertaining the state of Public Education, and of the Public Institutions designed for its promotion, and of considering, and from time to time submitting to government, the suggestion of such measures as it may appear expedient to adopt, with a view to the better instruction of the people, to the introduction among them of useful knowledge, including the sciences and arts of Europe, and to the improvement of their moral character."

The new committee proceeded to organise a Sanscrit College at Calcutta, founded two new colleges for the cultivation of oriental literature at Delhi and Agra, and took under their patronage the Hindoo College of Calcutta, which had been founded in 1816 by the natives themselves, for the instruction of their youth in English literature and science. They also commenced the printing of Sanscrit and Arabic books, and expended large sums in translating the European scientific works into Arabic. So little, however, was this attempt to prop up their decayed religious and classical literature valued by the natives, that the sum realized by the sale of books during three years was under £100, whilst the depository alone cost £765 per annum.

Under these circumstances, a difference of opinion naturally arose in the Committee. Whilst one section was anxious to continue the existing system, the other half wished to abolish the expensive and useless plan of teaching English science through the medium of Arabic, a

language equally unknown to all but a few learned Mahomedans; to give no bounties for the encouragement of an obsolete and erroneous learning; to purchase, or print, only such Arabic and Sanscrit books as might actually be required for the use of the different colleges; and to employ the funds thus set free in the establishment of new seminaries for giving instruction in English and the vernacular languages, at the places where such institutions were most wanted. The two opposing parties being nearly balanced, neither could move. The whole business of the Committee came to a stop; until, after a struggle of three years, the question was referred for the decision of government. By a resolution of government, dated 7th March 1835, a complete victory was given to the Anglicists. The scholarships, translations, and printing, were ordered to be discontinued, and the funds at the disposal of the Committee directed to be "employed in imparting to the native population a knowledge of English literature and science, through the medium of the English language.'

Upon this, the Oriental members of the Committee resigned, and their places were filled up by Anglicists, and some Hindoo and Mahomedan gentlemen. Many new schools were established; libraries and scientific apparatus attached to several of them; and some English and vernacular school-books prepared. So far good: but many of the Anglicists, not content with abolishing the native classical languages, and throwing the vernaculars into the background, proceeded to do away with the native written characters, and to substitute the Roman character, with marks to represent the letters of the native alphabets. Many books were printed on this scheme of writing Indian words in Roman letters; and it took greatly with many who had not opportunity, or were too indolent, to learn the native characters; but, since the departure from India of some of its original promoters, the success of this attempt to carry out a universal character has diminished.

On January 12th 1842, the Governor-general determined to bring the affairs of education more directly under the controul of government. A Council of Education, composed of the principal members of government resident at Calcutta, was therefore appointed, and a Deputy Secretary to government directed to officiate as ex-officio Secretary to the Council. Mr. Thomason, member of the Allahabad Board of Revenue, was requested to act as visitor of the Agra and Delhi Colleges, and Captain Marshall, Secretary to the College of Fort William, to visit that at Benares. The principals of Colleges were also desired to inspect and examine the different schools; but their own other important duties have prevented, as might have been expected, the execution of this

measure.

There are at present eight colleges, and forty-two government schools.

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The instruction given at these institutions is merely of a literary and scientific character, comprising English grammar and literature, mathematics, history, geography, and physics. The reading of the two highest classes of the Calcutta Hindoo College, during the past year, consisted of "Bacon's Essays," Goldsmith's History of England, abridged," "Robertson's India," "Pope's Essay on Criticism," "Essay on Man," Eloisa to Abelard (!)," "Elegy on an Unfortunate Young Lady," and "Epilogue to the Satires," with Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and "Othello."

The result of the examination was not very favourable :- "About half the class read with fluency and accuracy, and for the most part gave correctly the meaning of the words, the force of the epithets, and the sense of the metaphors they were called on to explain. In the historical allusions they were less successful, and few were able to give off-hand the general scope of the passages." A similar system obtains at many of the other institutions. High sounding books, with but very slight bearing on utility or morality, are placed in the hands of boys scarce able to read; in consequence, little improvement is made, either in actual knowledge or in virtue.

The Medical College of Calcutta is, perhaps, the most valuable of the

educational institutions. It contains about eighty students, who are carried through a course of training in anatomy and physiology, theory and practice of physic and surgery, midwifery, materia medica, medical chemistry, and botany.

Since the appointment of the new Council of education, a great improvement is manifest in increased energy, and encouragement to the vernacular languages. Arrangements have been made for the translation and printing of several historical and scientific works; and encouragement has been given to Mr. J. C. Marsham, of Serampoor, and Mr. Boutros, principal of the Delhi College, to prepare a number of works on history, science, law, moral philosophy, and general literature.

Having thus given a slight sketch of the progress and present state of government education in the Bengal and Agra presidencies. I proceed to note briefly wherein I consider it defective.

1st. It is not only destitute of religion, but even of morality. The instruction given is merely intellectual, without any bearing on the improvement of the heart and character.

It is true that the government is pledged to religious neutrality; that, placed, as it is, in the midst of millions of bigotted Hindoos and Mahomedans, it must be very cautious of offending their religious feelings; yet still, it appears to me, there is a wide field of morality common to all people, of religious feeling common to all creeds, which the government education is bound to cultivate. Without a deep impression of responsibility to the Creator, and the certainty of a future state of rewards and punishments; without an abiding sense of His omnipotence, omnipresence, and infinite perfections; without fixed principles of truth, justice, honesty, temperance, kindness, charity; without these, a mere intellectual education is little worth. It sends the young men to sea without a rudder or ballast, under a crowd of sail: what wonder that so many overset and founder !

2nd. The want of efficient supervision and inspection.

The secretary and Council being located in Calcutta, the due inspection and examination of the schools, many of them 800 miles distant, is physically impossible; and the Council have to trust entirely to the reports of the local committees, and, in some instances, to those of the schoolmasters themselves! The Council is fully aware of this defect. In their Report for 1841-42 they state, We feel it our duty respectfully to add, that it is our conviction that the rules cannot be sufficiently enforced, or the returns required sufficiently answer the purposes for which they are demanded in regard to our institutions, unless those institutions are subjected to unexpected visitation and searching inspection, by the officer most intimately connected with the correspondence of the department, and we would, therefore, earnestly solicit the favourable consideration of government to the measure of occasionally permitting the secretary to make such visitation and inspection. The past experience on this point, with reference to the beneficial results of our late president's general visitation in 1839, leads us to press this proposal upon the supreme government."

It appears to me, that each presidency ought to have a separate

superintendent of education, unfettered by any other duties, whose business it should be to make annual circuits, and personally examine every school during the cool weather, In the hot weather and rains he might be usefully occupied in superintending the preparation and printing of a complete course of moral and scientific schoolbooks in English, with counterparts in all the vernacular languages of Hindostan; in overlooking a Central Normal College to be established at his headquarters; and in acting as a general centre of communication and information to the translators and other friends of education throughout India.

3rd. The want of good vernacular schoolbooks.

The Council are doing their best to remove this defect, and several works are under preparation; but a mistake has, I think, been committed in relinquishing the book agency as a branch of the Council's duty, and substituting a monthly allowance to each school, for the purchase of books, &c., &c., at the discretion of the local committees. The preparation and supply of proper books appears an important function of the council, which they ought to be able to perform much better and more economically than local committees,

4th. The want of a Central Normal College in each presidency, to bring into one focus the scattered talent of the different government schools, and to complete the education of the most promising youths destined for the service of government in the departments of

Civil and criminal administration,
Tuition,

Medicine and surgery,
Civil engineering.

Scholarships in this college should be offered annually for competition to all the schools; government would thus secure the best lads for its own service, and, at the same time, have a useful test of the relative proficiency of its different institutions.

5th. The very limited number of schools and scholars.

This arises from the attempt to teach chiefly through the medium of English, instead of making use of the vernacular dialects. English schools, masters, and apparatus, are very expensive, and cannot be multiplied to meet the wants of the mass of the people. Almost every large village, however, contains an indigenous vernacular school. These are, at present, on a very inefficient footing, teaching little beyond the mechanical arts of reading and writing, and the rudiments of arithmetic; but, with a little encouragement and assistance in books, maps, &c., and occasional pecuniary rewards to the most deserving, many hundreds of such schools might be rendered efficient. An immense field of primary instruction would thus be brought under the influence and direction of government at a small expense, and abundant sources opened for supplying the government schools with a class of boys already acquainted with their own language, and the elements of European knowledge; and prepared to derive full advantage from the superior means of education brought within their reach. Till some such means are taken for widening its base and connecting the superior education