The next statistical statement refers to the expense of the Educational staff alone, all contingent and general expenses being excluded. Help has also been derived from Government in aid of certain undertakings in Professional Education, an account of which scarcely belongs to this review of general Instruction. The Reports of the Schools of Survey, Ordnance, Industrial Arts and of the Medical College require and deserve a separate notice. Two schools for East Indians, some of Swartz's schools guaranteed support by the Company, with certain others in North Arcot and Nellore endowed by former Governments, derive assistance from Government apart from the Educational Grant. Since these educational papers have been issued, further enlargements have taken place in the establishment of Zillah Schools and a system of supervision, for the particulars of which we must await the Directors' next Report. There is but one other class of institutions connected with education which remains to be noticed ;—perhaps the most important of all; certainly that through the want of which all past measures of any extent have failed or been suspended. We refer to those intended for the procuring training of Teachers. Most of the schemes proposed for this object never reached an experimental trial or speedily fell to the ground. These may be enumerated, as a tradesman would the articles of his obsolete stock, and the reasons shortly assigned for their ill-success or non-adoption. 1. Sir Thomas Munro's plan for providing Teachers for the Vernacular Tehsildary Schools. To secure native co-operation and allay anticipated opposition, these pedagogues were to be elected by the chief men of the village, as any other officers of the community. Interest and intrigue had an open field, and the new line of instructors was worse than the old. 2. We have already referred to the system organised for training the Collectorate Masters. Competent persons were not willing to proceed to the Presidency on the chance of such an income as that held out. The Collector sent up the worst to be got, because he could get no better. Many did not know the alphabet of their mother tongues. Few had genius or talent. Most had too many years. The school in six years proved itself a failure. 3. The Board of Education in 1834 proposed the remodelling of the Central School for the training of 100 Collectorate Teachers under an efficient master. The salaries were to be graduated and the studies more advanced, including instruction in the art of teaching. For training purely Vernacular Teachers in some way not exactly clear, 20 model schools were to be established at the Presidency. This plan fell to the ground amidst the discussion on the introduction of an English education. 4. The Committee of Native Education in 1856 advocated the establishment of a Normal Training Class in connexion with the best school in the Presidency whether a Government School or otherwise. Crushed beneath Lord Elphinstone's University. 5. The University Board in 1852 amongst other propositions presented this: that Normal Classes should be formed in the High School for the purpose of training teachers. In 1855 the number under training was a dismal duo; youths of talent finding no inducement to enter a line so devoid of emolument. The Principal then brought forward an opinion : "The Principal's plan was to establish two separate classes, one for the training of teachers of the vernacular languages for employment in the Government Anglo-Vernacular Schools, the other for training teachers for elementary Village Schools. The students in the first of these two classes were to be persons possessing a moderate knowledge of the vernacular and a sight colloquial acquaintance with English. The students in the latter class were also to be tolerable vernacular scholars but their training was to be directed to the acquirement of those elementary branches of knowledge which would form the subjects. of instruction in the Vernacular Schools."-Records xvii. 8. These suggestions were deferred or declined in prospect of the 6 and last plan;-happily in actual progress; a separate Normal School for the specific purpose of training Teachers. The announcement and features of the new Institution were pub lished in the “Gazette" of January 15th, 1855. We transcribe the paragraph entire : "It is hereby notified for general information that a Government Normal School for training teachers will be opened at Madras on the 3d March, 1856 in the premises at Vepery formerly occupied by the Vepery Grammar School." "The design of the institution is to provide competent teachers for employment as Masters or Under-masters in the Anglo-Vernacular Schools which have been or may be hereafter established throughout the Presidency (whether public or private), and to raise up a class of Training Masters with a view to the eventual improvement and extension of Vernacular Education by the establishment of Schools in the Provinces for the training of teachers for Vernacular Schools." "Candidates for admission as students of the Normal School must be at least 17 years of age and free from any bodily infirmity tending to impair their usefulness as School-masters." They will be required to produce Certificates of moral chat racter and conduct, and to show, on examination, a competenknowledge of the following subjects : English, comprehending a competent knowledge of Grammar and ability to read and explain any moderately easy passage from a standard prose author." вь Writing from Dictation." History, including an acquaintance with the leading facts in the Histories of England and India." "General Geography, and particularly the Geography of India, Arithmetic, comprehending the four Simple and Compound Rules, Reduction, Vulgar Fractions, Simple Proportion and Simple In terest." "The Tamil or Telugu Language (at the candidate's election) including translation into English and vice versa. Candidates will also be required to answer such grammatical questions bearing on the passages selected for translation from the vernacular languages as may test their ability to parse and their knowledge of the construction of the vernacular languages selected." "Candidates who may pass a satisfactory examination in the foregoing subjects will be admitted as students into the Normal School free of payment." Twenty-five Scholarships of the Ten Scholarships of Rs. 15 per mensem. Ten Do. of 20 Do. Do. amounts noted in the margin will be attached to the Normal School, and will be awarded on the result of an examination to be held on the 25th Proximo." "The subjects of examination will be as follows : "For Scholarships of the 3d or lowest class." "The subjects above specified as being required for admission." "For Scholarships of the 2d Class." English comprehending an intimate knowledge of Grammar, and ability to read and explain any moderately easy passage in prose or poetry from a standard English author." "History, including an acquaintance with the leading facts of the Histories of England and India. "General Geography, and particularly the Geography of Great Britain and India." "Arithmetic comprehending the four Simple and Compound Rules, Reduction, Vulgar and Decimal Fractions, Simple and Double Proportion and Interest.” Algebra, as far as Simple Equations." "Euclid, the two first books. "The Tamil or Telugu language (at the candidate's election) including translation into English and vice versa with grammatical questions as in the examination for Scholarships of the 3d Class. The passages selected for translation will be somewhat more difficult than those given in the examination for admission and for Scholarships of the 3d Class." "For Scholarships of the 1st Class." English including an intimate knowledge of grammar, and ability to paraphrase and explain any ordinary English author, prose or poetical." General History, and particularly the Histories of England and India." "General Geography, and particularly the Descriptive, Historical and Political Geography of Great Britain and India.” "Arithmetic." "Algebra, as far as Quadratic Equations." "Plane Trigonometry." "Popular Astronomy and Mechanics." "The Tamil or Telugu language (at the candidate's election) Including translation into English and vice versa, with grammatical questions and an abstract or precis in the vernacular language of a passage selected from a standard English author, such as may test the candidate's facility and correctness of expression in vernacular composition." "Each scholar will be considered a probationer for the first two months after his election, to enable the Principal of the Normal School to form an opinion as to his aptitude for the art of teaching subject to this proviso, and to the condition of the Scholarship-holder manifesting due proficiency at the periodical examinations of the Institution, each Scholarship will be tenable for two years, at the end of which period, or sooner if he obtains a certificate of qualification, the holder will be appointed as teacher in a school on a salary of Rupees 50 per mensem or higher, according to the grade of his certificate; or in the event of there being no vacancy at the time of his passing his final examination, he will be allowed to retain his Scholarship until a vacancy occurs." "Each scholar on his election to a Scholarship will be required to sign a written agreement to the effect that he will not voluntarily quit the Institution, until he shall have obtained his certificate of qualification as a Teacher; and that he will subsequently serve for not less than five years in the Educational Department, failing either of which conditions he will refund such sum as he may have received on account of his Scholarship." |