Page:Reports on the State of Education in Bengal (1835 & 1838).djvu/525

454 effect would be to improve the instruction of the native female Christian population, which is probably at present too narrow, and which, for their own sake as well as for the sake of the effect on society, should be rendered more comprehensive and practical. The pupils of these schools would thus be fitted to become the native female teachers of the country; but before being recognized as such, they should be required to pass through a series of examinations corresponding with what has been proposed for the male teachers of vernacular schools. When approved female teachers are thus obtained they might be encouraged, with the aid of books received in reward of their attainments, to offer their services to families on the plan of visiting the homes of their pupils, or of collecting them in a common neighborhood for instruction, with, of course, the consent of heads of families. A native female teacher who should thus devote five hours a day to the females of five different families, receiving two rupees a month from each family, in addition to the presents of clothes and food which would naturally flow from such a relation, might be considered well paid; and this is an expense which many native families would willingly incur, if Government will take the first step of preparing proper books and of vouching for the qualifications of teachers. In order to judge how far the teachers were entitled to the presents of books or other higher rewards, as endowments, &c., which it might be deemed advisable to hold out to them, it would be impossible to subject their pupils, as in the case of common schools, to public examinations; but this might be remedied, either by sending native female examiners, always, of course, with the consent of heads of families, to ascertain and report the progress of the pupils of different teachers at fixed periods, or as a check upon such reports by receiving the certificates of heads of families as to the amount of instruction communicated by the teachers to their female relatives within the periods in question.

Without going further into details, it is sufficient to indicate the general views which have occurred to me on this subject, and to add that this mode of promoting female instruction is one which respectable native families have themselves shown a disposition to adopt, and that the stimulus which the encouragement of Government would supply would probably give it general acceptance and prevalence.