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 GUJARAT EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE

��The following is the Presidential address to the Second Gujarat Educational Conference held at Broach in October 20, 1917, specially translated for the " Indian Review."

EDUCATION THROUGH THE VERNACULARS

The Gujarat Education League that has called us together has set before it three objects :

(1) To cultivate and express public opinion on matters cf education.

(2) To carry on sustained agitation on educational questions.

(3) To take all practical steps for the spread of education in Gujarat.

I shall endeavour to the best of my ability to place before you my thoughts on these objects and the conclu- sions I have arrived at.

It must be clear enough to everybody that our first business is to consider and form an opinion about the medium of instruction. Without fixing the medium all our other efforts are likely to be fruitless. To go on educating our children without determining the medium is like an attempt to build without a foundation.

Opinion seems to be divided on the matter. One party claim that instruction ought to be imparted through the vernacular (Gujarati in this province,'. The other will have English as the medium. Both are guided by pure motives. Both are lovers of their country. But good intentions alone are not sufficient for reaching a goal. It is world-wide experience that good intentions

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