the long vacation. Four of these boys seemed between 19 and 20, so that before they can reach the Junior Scholarship standard they will be between 22 and 23 years of age, or about 28 or 29 before they could pass through the College course should they ever apply to it. It is greatly to be regretted that Committees do not appreciate the importance of restricting admission to pupils of a proper age. These are the remarks of Sir Charles Trevelyan in his evidence before the Committee of the House of Lords on Indian Territories, given only six months ago.-'I would commence education earlier; I would establish Infant Schools; there is no doubt that the Natives are precocious that they are very early developed. European children in that climate are developed earlier than they are in this country, so that it is desirable to form their habits in very early life.' "The effect of refusing admission to the older candidates will not be an absolute prohibition, as far as they are concerned, to learn English, as Committees seem to judge. The observance of the rules in the admission of pupils will end, as it has ended at Dacca, in the springing up of private schools for the reception of the rejected applicants, which will grow in efficiency every year. If rejected candidates have an earnest desire to learn English, they will find an opportunity of gratifying it independently of the Government School; if they do not feel this earnest desire they would reap no benefit either in a Government, or a private school. The rest of the boys were of a fair average age. In Geometry and Algebra, I did not examine this class, none of its pupils having advanced so far in these subjects as the easiest of the scheme of questions I had prepared for their examination. Several of the boys read very well from Keightley's History of Greece, particu larly Sharoda Persaud Roy, a promising little boy of 13 years; and Tariney Churn Acharjee, Dwarkanath Sein, Tarack Gobind Moitry, and Gooroo Churn Dutt are also promising young boys. The principal fault I found with the Oral Reading was a placing of emphasis on words which required no distinction of sound, and a force of accentuation on syllables where none was needed. The boys of this class were able to explain meanings correctly, but could not express themselves with grammatical precision in English, an observation which my examination of their written Translations afterwards confirmed. They must, therefore, be systematically exercised in paraphrasing, translating, and explaining in English, both orally, and in writing. I next examined this class in the Poetical Reader No. III., of which they had read 29 pages. The piece selected was Parnell's Hermit. I was glad to discover that some of the boys had acquired a little information relating to the author, his contemporaries, and times, but until a Library is at hand for them to resort to, their acquaintance with facts illustrative of their studies must be meagre. They had also some knowledge of scanning, and were able to explain the meaning of the passage in which I examined them with clearness sufficient to prove that they understood its spirit and scope. They passed a satisfactory examination in Etymology and Syntax. In Geography many of the boys showed that they possessed a fair acquaintance with the definitions of the science, with the countries, islands, seas, rivers, mountains, and capitals of Europe and Asia, and some particular knowledge of the Geography of England. The examination in Arithmetic as far as Compound Proportion and Vulgar Fractions, was generally satisfactory. In conclusion, 10 out of the 13 present, are promising pupils, and evince a decided desire to improve. One, Chunder Coomar Ghose, about 20 years old, knows very little, and should leave. Sarosungroho Reader-153 pages. Translation from Bengali to English and Standard of study of this class is in the margin. It contains 18 boys, 16 of whom were present, one being sick, the other, Nobin Chunder Gangolee, not having returned since the long vacation. It is taught in all subjects by Babu Aunundo Chunder Sein, lately a student of the highest class of the College Department at Dacca. About "Prose Reader No. IV.-The Oral Reading was fair, five reading pretty well, nine not so well, and two, aged about 20, badly. The old boys rarely, if ever, do any thing well. Seven of the boys are beyond the proper age. half the class passed a satisfactory examination in Explanation and English meanings. In English Grammar the boys were able to parse, to conjugate verbs, to define the parts of speech. In Arithmetic three questions were proposed, two in Reduction, and the third in Addition of Fractions. Nine of the pupils solved all the questions, two failed completely, and five answered the first and second. In Geography, but slight progress has been effected. They knew the principal countries of Europe and Asia, with their capitals, and most striking features. The hand-writing in many instances in their exercises from Dictation was creditable, but the errors in spelling were numerous. In review, the class is not altogether a very promising one, though it contains some good boys. "THIRD CLASS (Fifth.)-This class consists of 26 boys, 16 of whom were present, as many as 10 not having yet returned after the long vacation. The Standard is in the margin. It is taught by English-Prose Reader No. III. Poetical Reader No. I. mar. Chambers's Geography. Arithmetic-Simple and Compound Proportions. Writing and Dictation. Babu Ooma Sunker Sein (who was nearly six years a Master in Mr. Pogose's School at Dacca) four hours four days, and three hours two days in the week,-so that it remains without instruction eight hours, out of 30, during the week. Five or six boys, who read very badly, are much too old for the class,-the remaining nine or ten are nice little boys. The Oral Reading generally was not very good. The boys read too fast, clip words by omitting vowels, and do not give the full sound to the consonants. In Dictation four of the exercises were good, five middling, and seven bad. They were only commencing English Grammar, and knew the contents of about ten pages of Clift's Geography. Bengali-Nitibodah. Translation English to Bengali. In Arithmetic the working of sums in Compound Multiplication and hour daily by the Second Master. The remaining three hours daily they are almost entirely without superintendence, but are sup posed to be writing, and working sums. The class counts 20 pupils, 14 only being present. Five had not returned since the long vacation. The Standard of the class is placed in the margin. The Oral Reading out of Prose Reader No. II., was not satisfactory. Only two boys in the class were able to give English meanings. In Dictation some of the exercises were neatly written, some hardly legible. "FIFTH CLASS (Seventh.)—This class consists of 31 boys, of whom 24 were present, 14 being little boys of a tender age. Three of the pupils had not returned since the long vacation. The class is divided into four Sections, and is taught in the verandah one hour daily in English, by the Third Master, and one hour two days in the week in Bengali by the Second Master. I heard the reading of as many as were able to read from the first number of the Prose Reader. It was of course very far from good. Indeed, these boys, and those of the class above them, are very sadly neglected, and yet they pay a schooling fee of a rupee a month each, and are therefore entitled to efficient instruction. The parents of those little boys above-mentioned, who daily cross and re-cross that formidable river, the Pudma, little know to what extremely small profit they so continually risk their lives and encounter peril. I think that, as the fee paid is so high and the income from this source so considerable, a Fourth Master should be added to the establishment in justice to these classes, although the state of the School is not on the whole satisfactory. Then the Head and Second Masters should teach the third, fourth and fifth classes, (the first and second are vacant); the Third Master the sixth, and the Fourth, the seventh." Statement exhibiting the Number of Scholarship-holders and Pay and Free Pupils on the 1st April 1854. Changes. No changes have occurred during the short period of its establishment. The number of boys borne on the rolls this day is 167. per mensem. The Schooling Fee paid by each is at the uniform rate of one Rupee The Schooling Fees realized during half the year amount to Rupees 827-8. There has been no competition for Scholarships this year. |