Page:Adam's reports on vernacular education in Bengal and Behar, submitted to Government in 1835, 1836 and 1838.djvu/289

Rh The first remark which occurs here respects the obvious difference in the first and second columns between the proportions of the Bengal and those of the Behar thanas. I am wholly unable to offer any explanation of the difference. The second remark is the great excess of males between 14 and five above females of the same age both in the Bengal and Behar districts, as exhibited in the third column. This may, with some probability, be accounted for by supposing that, from doubt or suspicion of the object of the inquiry, the number of females of that age was often purposely diminished either by actual suppression or by transfer to the preceding column which, in the Bengal districts especially, contains an excessive proportion of females above 14. I am not, however, perfectly satisfied with this explanation, for the uniformity of the effect in all the districts as well as in the city of Moorshedabad seems to require a cause of more uniform operation than mere doubt or suspicion.

Sixth.—The proportion of the numbers above 14 and below five, i. e., of those who have not yet attained the age of school instruction, and who have passed beyond it, to the number between 14 and 5, i. e., of those who are of the teachable age, is subjoined—

If we could be sure of an approximation to truth in these results, the advantage of it would be that we should possess the means of comparing the ascertained amount of instruction with the ascertained number of those who are of an age to receive it, and of proportioning the supply to the wants of society without allowing excess in one place or deficiency in another.

Seventh.—I have not attempted to estimate the number of inhabitants to the square mile, because I had not the means of ascertaining the superficial extent of the localities in which a census of the population was taken.

The subject of domestic instruction was noticed in the Second Report, to which reference should be made.

City of Moorshedabad.—The number of families in which domestic instruction is given is 216, of which 147 are Hindu and 69 are Musalman families. The number of children receiving domestic instruction is 300, of whom 195 are Hindu and 105 are Musalman children.