Page:Adam's reports on vernacular education in Bengal and Behar, submitted to Government in 1835, 1836 and 1838.djvu/273

Rh Arabic instruction is wholly, and Persian instruction is almotsalmost [sic] wholly, in the hands of Musalmans,—there being only 14 teachers of Persian who are Hindus, to 715 teachers of Persian and Arabic who are Musalmans. This is a consequence of the nature of the instruction communicated; the languages, the literature, and the learning taught being strictly Mohammadan. The relative number of Hindu and Musalman scholars is very different, there being 2,096 of the former to 1,558 of the latter; which is a very remarkable contrast with the number of teachers belonging to the two classes of the population. Is this comparative large number of Hindu scholars the effect of a laudable desire to study a foreign literature placed within their reach? Or is it the effect of an artificial stimulus? This may be judged by comparing the number of Hindu teachers and scholars of Persian which until lately was almost the exclusive language of local administration with that of Hindu teachers and scholars of Arabic, which is not called into use in the ordinary routine of Government. With regard to teachers, there is not a single Hindu teacher of Arabic in the five districts,—all are Musalmans. With regard to scholars, there are only 9 Hindu to 149 Musalman students of Arabic, and consequently 2,087 Hindus to 1,409 Musalmans who are learning Persian. The small comparative number of Arabic students who are Hindus, and the large comparative number of Persian scholars of the same class, seem to admit of only one explanation, viz., that the study of Persian has been unnaturally forced by the practice of Government; and it seems probable that even a considerable number of the Musalmans who learn Persian may be under the same artificial influeuce.

Fifth.—The average monthly gain of the teachers varies from rupees 8-14-1 in Moorshedabad to rupees 3 in Tirhoot, the medium rates being rupees 6-6-1 in Beerbhoom, rupees 6-10-8 in Burdwan, and rupees 5-2 in South Behar. The difference between the highest and the lowest rates may be explained by various causes. One cause will be found in the average number of scholars taught by each master, the highest average being 9.3 in Burdwan, the lowest 2.5 in Tirhoot; and the medium averages being 6.7 in Beerbhoom, 5.7 in Moorshedabad, and 5.1 in South Behar. The lowest rate of monthly gain and the smallest average number of scholars are found in Tirhoot. Further, the persons acquainted with Persian and seeking employment are numerous, the general standard of living is very low, and both the number of those who receive and the poverty of those who give employment of this kind combine to establish a very low rate of remuneration. In Behar too, and especially in Tirhoot, parents do not nearly to the same extent as in the Bengal districts unite with each other to support a teacher for the benefit of their children; and thus each teacher is very much isolated, seldom extending his