Report on Public Instruction in Bengal For the Year 1925-26 CALCUTTA: Bengal Secretariat Book Depot. 192i. Published by the Bengal Secretariat Book Depot, Writers• Buildings, Calcutta. Agents in India. Messrs. S. K, ·Lahiri & Co., Printers- and Book-sellers, College- Street, Calcutta. Messrs. Thacker, Spink & Co., Calcutta. Customers in the United Kingdom and the Continent of Europe may obtain publiliations either direct from the High Commissioner's office or through any book-seller. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Chapter. SJbjee'. Page. I Introduction II Controlling Agencies 2 III University and College Education 5 IV Secondary Education 10 V Primary Education 13 VI Training of Teachers for Indian Schools 17 VII Professional and Teclmical Educatwn 20 VIII Education of Indian girls and women 24 IX Education of Europeans and Anglo-lndiane 27 X Education of Muhammadans 31 '- XI Education of Special classes 34 XII Unrecognised Institutions 37 XIII Physical and l\Ioral Training 37 XIV Conferences 39 XV Text-Book Committees 40 XVI Education in the Legislative Council 41 General Statistics i-xxxiv 1 A REPORT ON PUBLIC INSTRUCTION IN BENGAL, 1925·26. CHAPTER I. Introductory. l. Institutions and pupils.-This report gives a short account o£ the educational work undertaken in the Presidency of Bengal during the year ending 31st March 1.926. The number of 1ecognised and unrecognised institutions rose from 57,173 to 57,978, or by 805. Of these institutions 43,769 were for males and 14,209 for females, a~ compared with 43,415 and 13,758 respectively in the preceding year. The nllmber of· pupils reading in both recognised and unrecogniseJ institutions rose during the :vear from 2,150,942 to 2,222,012, or by 71,070. Recognised institutions increased in number from 55,890 to 56,549 and unrecognised institutions from 1,283 to 1,429. The number of pupils attending recognised institutions rose from 2,107,127 to 2,172,177; pupils studying in unrecognised institutions increased from 43,815 to 49,835. Of the total number of pupils reading in all classes of institutions on 31st March 1926, 1,824,942 were males and 397,070 females, as compared with 1,770,472 boys and 380,470 girls on tl1e cor­ responding elate of the preceding year. 2. Different classes of recognised institutions.-Of the total number of recognised institutions returned on 31st March 1926, 62 (including the special university classes) were arts :md professional college,, 1,0;!6 were high, 1,745 middle, 50,923 primary and 2,783 sp~;cial schools. The conesponding figures for the. previous year were 61,996, 1,691, 50,450 and 2,692 respectively. Of the recognised institutions 321 were managed by Government and 3,855 by District and :\funicipal Boards; of the rest 43,871 were aided and 8,502 un­ aided. The corresponding figures in 1924-25 were 334, 3,656, 43,307 and 8,593 respectively. 'I he decrease in the number of institutions managed hy Government during 1925-26 was due mainly to the aboli­ tion of certain old-type guru-training schools, together with the practi,ing· sehools attached to them. 3. Expenditure on public lnstruction.-The total expenditun· on public instruction amounted during the year under report to Rs. :J,7G,94,290, as compared with Rs. 3,56,45,939 in the preceding year. Of the total expenditure Rs. 1,43,63,858 were met. from provi1winl revenues, Rs. 15,37,270 and Rs. 3,93,506 were provided from Distrid and Municipal Funds respectively, while Rs. l,fl:j,20,78!) a<·crued from fees and Rs. 58,78,867 from private ~ources. The corresponding figures in 1924-25 were Rs. 1,33,82,962, Rs. 15,45,805, Rs. 3,05,!)88, Rs. 1,46,:36,126 and Rs. 57,75,058 respectively. 4. Nc·teworthy features of the period under review.-In com­ parison with the extreme finaneial stringency of the past few years, the year under 1·eview could b!' regarded ns one of relative opulence, and this was reflected in th!' improvements that were effE>etecl in a number of <leserving non-Government secondary sc·hools and colleges I y the award of ne\Y and ,,dditionnl grauts-in-nid. Dacca University 2 had us gTant enhanced by hal£ a lakh, and the finances of the Post­ Graduate Department of Calcutta University were placed on a stabler basis by a liberal grant from provincial revenues. But more funds were needed. Very little could be done towards the improvement of primary education, and no progress was made in the direction of university reform or the improvement of secondary educational ad­ ministration. The following were some of the noteworthy educational features of the year:- (i) There being no Education Minister, the department was m charg~ of a member of His Excellency the Governor's Executive Collncil throughout the period. (ii) Conferences of Government officials and representative local non-officials were held in five centres to discuss the question of the imposition of a cess for making primary education free and compulsory in the rural areas of the province. The proposed taxation was criticised, but not unive.rsally; there was general acceptance of the necessity for making a move of some comprehensive character. (iii) The revised curriculum for maktabs was introduced in all the districts of the Presidency during the year under review. (iv) An additional allotment of Rs. 3 lakhs was made available from provincial revenues for increased and new grants-in-aid to secon­ dary schools in the province for the improvement of the pay and pros­ peds of teachers. The allotment was distributed to high and middle English schools, subject to the fulfilment of the conditions referred to in chapter IV of this report. (v) A sum of Rs. 20,000 was also distributed from provincial reve­ nues in the shape of new and additional grants-in-aid for the improve­ ment of non-Government arts colleges, subject to the condition that increased contributions from private sources, e.g., fees, where possible were obtained. (vi) The training of teachers in vernacular training schools received an impetus by the restoration at a slightly increased rate of the stipends which were not awarded for some :vears past owing to flnan- <.Jal stringency. · (t·ii) 'l'here was a general increase in the rates of fees paid in non­ GovernmE-nt aided secondary schools, many of which were thereby placed on a better financial footing, and with the help of an additional Government grant were able to improve the pay and prospects oJ' the teachers to some extent. (viii) Dacca University received a statutory recurring gram of Rs. 5! lakhs, its finances being thereby stabilised. (i.v) 'l'here was a growing recognition of the importance of ph~ sical training in schools anll colleges, which had various results, including a steady developement of the Boy Scout movement. CHAPTER II. Controlling Agencies. 1. The ageneies controlling the educational activities of the Presi­ dency of Bengal are the drpartmental staff and local and missionary hodies, 3 2. Indian Educational Service.-(i) .lien's Branch.-On the 31st :March 1925 the men's cadre of the Indian Educational Service con~is­ ied of 68 appointments of w~ich 3 posts were in tl_1e' hig-her sel£>ctwn grade, 10 in the lower selec':wn g-n~de, 1 on a specml rat~ of pay ~nd the remaining- 5-! in the ordmary hme• scale of the servH·e. Durmg the year 1925-26, :Messrs. W. C. "\Vordsworth and E. H. Roberton 1·etirid on proportionate p~nsion, and Mr. J. C. Coy~jee, Professm of Political Economy, Prestdency College, was appomted to act as a member of the Ro'yal Currency Commission. ( ii) n·ompn'.• Branclt.-On the 31st March 1926 the cadre of the Women's Branch of the Indian Educational Sen·ice consisted of 4 posts as in the previous year-1 in the selection g-rade and the remain­ ing !l in the ordinary grade of the service. A noteworthy event in the history of the year's work was the acceptanc-e bv the Secretary of State for India of the recommendation of the Lee Commission that posts now included in all-India services operating in the transferred field of administration shou)d be provin­ cialised. As a result of this decision there will be no fresh appoint­ ments to the Indian Educational Service, and the Local Government has been vested with power to create appointments either on special rates of pay or in the Bengal Educational Service for the performance <Jf the duties of corresponding- posts in the Indian Educational Service when members in that service are not available. The existing­ lllPmbers of the Indian Educational Service will retain their status and position as mPm bPrs of an all-India service in reg-ard to their pay, ><llowances, leave and pension. The future of the Indian Educational .Service is thus decided; it is now only a matter of time when it will eease to bP, and the important problem of the creation of a Provincial Service which shall gTadually replace the existifg- Imperial Service is under c·onsidera tion. 3. Bengal Educational Service.-(i) Men's Bronch.-On the 31st lllarch 1925 the number of appointments in the Men's Branch was 208, including 4 temporary posts-3 in the Islamic Intermediate Colleg-e, Dacca, and 1 in Rajshahi College; during the year under review the 4 temporary posts were made permanent. One post at Krishnagar College was replaC'ed by a post in the Subordinate Educational Service.