Page:Adam's reports on vernacular education in Bengal and Behar, submitted to Government in 1835, 1836 and 1838.djvu/355

Rh Sixth, the scholars will be attracted to the study of the book by the higher price which their parents will have to pay for their instruction, by the curiosity and pleasure which new and useful knowledge will inspire, and by the love of display which a public examination will gratify. An honorable ambition may be still further gratified by the formal registry of their names, designation, and places of residence, as those of approved students of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th class, according to the number of the series in which they have been examined; and, on grounds to be immediately explained, by making the 4th class eligible to a course of instruction in the English School of the district.

At the second periodical examination those teachers who had, in whole or in part, fulfilled the purpose for which the books were given would produce their pupils for examination. To give the examiner time, it may perhaps appear to be desirable that not more than six pupils of one teacher should be pronounced qualified; but if one or more of the six produced shall not stand the examination, he may be permitted to bring forward one or more to the extent of six to be substituted for them. By this means not more than twelve scholars of the same teacher can be examined at the same time, and not more than six of those twelve can be finally approved. If the number who shall successfulysuccessfully [sic] pass through the examination be less than six, for the actual number only should the teacher receive credit. If the number of the scholars and the competition of the teachers should be great, only the highest qualifications of the scholars should be recognized. If the number is small, and the competition feeble, a lower standard of qualification must be admitted; and, according to the discretion of the examiner, some consideration should be shown for those teachers who appear to have bestowed a great deal of labor upon their scholars without any very successful result.

At the next and subsequent examinations the same course will be pursued as at the former with such modifications as increasing experience will suggest and the nature of the text-book forming the subject of examination may require. If the plan should go into full operation there will ultimately be as many classes of teachers and as many classes of scholars to be examined at one time as there are kinds of books distributed, and in this state of things the examiners will enjoy no sinecure. But the number of teachers necessary in a district will soon be filled up, and gradually the class of teachers will come to be composed of those who have already, as scholars, passed through the requisite examinations, and whose claim on this ground to be recognized as approved teachers may be at once decided by a reference to the examiner’s own records. The old race of school-masters will thus gradually pass away, and be succeeded by a race trained from the beginning under the operation of the new system. It will thus