No scholars competed for junior scholarships this year, and the report of the Local Committee, as well as that of the Inspector, shewed that the progress of the boys and the general discipline were highly unsatisfactory.

This state of things is partly attributable to the inefficiency of the head master, Balkissen Matti, whom it is in contemplation to replace by some more competent individual.

The following are extracts from Mr. Lodge's report:

"After my inspection of this school in December last, I was induced to propose arrangements for the removal of its head master; but in consequence of the leave of absence, on sick certificate, granted to Baboo Gooroochurn Mittre at Bhaugulpore, by which these arrangements were affected, his removal at that time could not take place: he has therefore had further trial of nine months in his old situation with a perfect knowledge of what had been intended for him; and, if he wished to remain where he was, with every motive for exertion and improvement. Instead, however, of taking advantage of this opportunity, I regret to have to remark that so far from finding his school in a better state in any one respect, his inefficiency and neglect are only the more evident. It is not that there has been no increase of students, for over this the master has but a limited control; nor that the progress of those under him has been unsatisfactory, for that may be attributed in some degree to the stupidity of the youths themselves; but for the discipline, conduct and character of the school he is entirely responsible, and for defects in these I find the most fault with him.

"From the register it would appear that from the very commencement there have been admitted only 51 students, but on further enquiry I found the original register has been thrown aside and a new one made, not a copy of the former, but with additions and curtailments, for objects

which I could not discover, and to an extent which makes them useless as statistical information. I was still more sorry to observe that some of the admissions were irregular, and had been kept concealed, one in particular was objectionable; he was a free student, the son of a peon, and said to be servant to the head master. The books shewed nothing, and the head master at last admitted he had taken the boy contrary to rule and without any reference, as he had also done in a former case; he denied the boy's being his servant, but allowed he gave him food and clothes, and detained him at his house each day till long after the school closed. Again what I noticed with regard to the daily attendance was most unsatisfactory; the second master keeps a register of his own pupils independent of the general one for the whole school, and these two, as far as I compared them, did in no instance correspond; not only was the number of days that each boy had been absent different, but the causes assigned for the absence were different. The explanation given was that these registers were not taken at the same time of the day, and the discrepancy arose from boys being present during a part only of the school hours; and as I am unwilling to suppose that any thing worse than careless entries have been made, I would admit this explanation, but at the same time would remark it is an undoubted sign of a want of discipline and management.

"On the eleventh and following days of this month when I was examining this school, there were 35 names borne on the rolls, and one boy only out of the whole absent, but as a young man in the first class had tendered his resignation a few days before, which I accepted, and as I could not sanction the admission of another, who had been registered at about three years younger than his apparent age, and even then at an advance much beyond what the rules admit, there were left remaining 33 students.

"An hour's visit to the school would convince any observer that the head master had little or no control over the pupils in his first class. Four of them, including the one who has resigned, are young men, indifferent in their manner towards him, and the only notice he received from them was to gather from his signs a guidance to the answers of my questions; their attentions too are divided between the lessons for the school and gaining a few rupees by writing petitions for the Courts, so that I think it best they should not return after the approaching vacation. "Out of the seven in this class, three shewed some intelligence, they were able to read in a drawling manner, and with a bad pronunciation the Azimghur, and No. 2, Prose Reader, to explain a little of the language and some of the meaning, they had an acquaintance with the Geography of Asia and of part of Europe, could write tolerably from dictation, and work an easy sum in the rules of three. The rest, besides the defects of the others, were entirely ignorant of grammar and could not multiply or divide correctly; they thus from dictation copied out a question, which of course they had not the slightest idea of working. "If a hogzed of oil cast 300 rupees what is prize of cast containing 13 gallons, 3 pines." Their attempts at translation were not deserving of notice, and since four of them cannot write either Hindee or Oordoo, the vernacular instruction of the class must have been much neglected. In the division of labor that took place last year between the two masters, the vernacular department was given to the first and the arithmetic to the second, and the result has been creditable to neither.

T

"One cause of the unfortunate condition of this school is the slight friendship, which exists between the two masters, and which prevents their assisting one another, or working cheerfully together. No tangible complaint has been made by either party, but the bearing, jealousies, and backbiting of both, and most particularly of the second, sufficiently shew that the head master can exercise no authority, and the other can regard him with no deference or respect. In such a state of affairs the removal of one or both masters is absolutely necessary for the welfare of the school; and I trust after my inspection of the Patna and Bhaugulpore Institutions to be able to propose such arrangements, to take effect from the re-opening after this long vacation, as will be beneficial to all."

There are now fifty boys in attendance at this school, being a considerable increase on the roll since 1846. It could not, of course, be expected that, in the infancy of this Institution, and in the face of the numerous disadvantages encountered by the Committee, any boys would be found qualified for junior scholarships; but the examinations were on the whole satisfactory, and the progress of some boys decidedly worthy of commendation.

The low state of the Education funds prevented the Deputy Governor from acceding to a request preferred by the Committee for certain sums to be devoted to the purchase of prizes. Failing this, the gentlemen composing the Committee, raised a sum by local contributions, from which prizes were awarded to the most deserving boys. For this act of liberality as well as for the interest generally manifested by them in the cause of education, the Committee received the thanks of His Lordship.

The school is entirely supported by private funds which are represented to be in a flourishing condition.

The following extracts from Mr. Lodge's report, who visited Gya for the second time in September 1847, will serve to shew the difficulties against which the Committee had to contend, and the degree to which they have overcome them :

"Considering the situation of this school, in a bigotted town, in a disaffected district, where every attempt on the part of the Government to improve the inhabitants either by a Vernacular or English education has failed, or has but partially succeeded, its success and advancement cannot but be regarded as exceedingly satisfactory and encouraging. Not two years have elapsed since its commencement. At a time when similar Institutions in the neighbouring stations were making no progress, and which to this day have given no signs of improvement, this one has yet had a steady increase in the number of its students, which has not subsided with the novelty, but is even now greater than it was at first, and in learning its classes have progressed in a manner that would be creditable to the best of our schools. This is solely owing to the exertions made by the local authorities to induce the natives in the first place to send their children, and afterwards to the tact and kindness of the masters for retaining them. At present, 5th September 1847, there are 42 names on the books, and every boy in attendance. At the commencement of this year there were but 29, and since then 25 have been admitted and 12 struck off, either at their own request, or from their own indifference, but it has not been found necessary to dismiss or expel a single boy. To judge from the appearance and dress of the students, by the number of palanqueens and conveyances in attendance when the school breaks up, I should say the majority of them are from the most respectable classes of society, and are of those whom it is perhaps most desirable we should first educate. One-third of the whole are Mahomedans, which is a much larger proportion than elsewhere prevails, and must be owing in a great measure to the example and influence of the Secretary Azumooddeen. The head master assures me all class books are readily purchased, and the schooling fees, now amounting to 29 rupees a month, are paid in advance without the slightest hesitation. "Since my last visit the new building has been completed and entered upon. It consists of one good room in the centre with a moderate sized one at each end, the whole surrounded by a verandah, of which two portions are enclosed so as to form narrow side rooms. The situation being near to the public offices is convenient and advantageous, but the accommodation and arrangement of the apartments, might, I think, have been better for the same sum that has been expended on them.

"The local subscriptions, by which this School is entirely supported, have suffered no diminution. After the outlay for the new school house the Committee have been able to fund 3,000 rupees, and what with the interest, schooling fees and contributions, there will in all probability be a balance of two or three hundred rupees more to add to the principal at the end of the present year.

"The studies of the five pupils, composing the first class, have extended over the books laid down for the last two classes of the junior department in the revised scheme of study, and considering the slight knowledge

that any of them possessed when admitted, I am satisfied with the exertions of the masters, and the progress made. The pupils themselves are not of that description, which we could have wished; three of them are old, between sixteen and eighteen years of age, one is naturally defective in intellect, but the last and best scholar is a promising boy-it may be needless to remark, he is many years younger than the others. They read the Azimghur Reader correctly and well, understand the matter, but explain the language very badly; they can generally, but not always, understand a question in English, and occasionally attempt a reply in the same language: their hand-writing is good, and, with few mistakes in spelling, they write with some rapidity easy English from dictation in arithmetic they are neither accurate nor ready, nor so far advanced as I could have expected-in simple multiplication they make innumerable blunders, and in the working of sums in compound reduction are slow and slovenly. On the whole, I should say four of these students may be allowed to remain another year only in the school, when they would be qualified to hold situations as writers, copyists and simple accountants in the different offices, but the attempt to educate them more highly would be useless, and injurious to the school.

"The second class of sixteen boys is, with the exception of two old ones, much more promising and better grounded than the first, and all things considered is very creditable to the school. These youths read and explain their lessons remarkably well, are beginning to have a slight colloquial knowledge of English; and, though backward in arithmetic, are not much inferior to those in the class above them. They have more intelligence and think more, and have had their minds better drawn out and exercised by the masters than any class of boys I have yet examined in the districts so remote from Calcutta. It is to be regretted they are not a little younger, their ages on an average must be about two years more than those of boys in Bengal, possessing the same attainments. The remainder of the school, divided into two sections, is in the charge of Mr. Mann, the second master, whose manner of teaching, mildness, and patience, in instructing even the dullest boys in the lowest stages, is very praiseworthy.

"The Secretary kindly examined before me the classes in their oriental studies. The attainments in Arabic of three students composing that class he pronounced to be undeserving of notice; but their reading and explanations in Oordoo were good, whilst their acquaintance with grammar was indifferent. Fourteen others read the Bagh-o-Bahar correctly and explained it well; also in grammar they exhibited a very fair proficiency, and six others, the only s tudents in Hindee, shewed by their performances the vernacular had not been neglected."