DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68024#0392
384
It has been shown in paragraph 11 above that the condition of the Muhammadans in
Southern India is, from an educational point of view, by no means unsatisfactory. All funds,
provincial, local, and municipal, are bound by the Grant-in-aid Code to give special encourage-
ment to Muhammadan education. The experiment of separate schools has not been successful
and is not, the Director of Public Instruction thinks, necessary, except to some extent in Madras
and one or two large Muhammadan centres and for the Moplahs on the west coast. Some
increase of the subordinate inspecting agency for Muhammadan schools is, however, admitted-
ly desirable. While the board results for the whole province leave perhaps little to desire, the
Governor General in Council thinks it would be well were .the officers of the Educational De-
partment directed to examine more particularly, in communication with district officers and the
leading members of the Muhammadan community, the educational provision for the members
of that community in each district, with a view to seeing whether in special localities more
effect should not be given to some of the recommendations of the Commission. The backward
state of the Moplahs seems especially to call for attention. The Governor General in Council
is disposed to agree with the Madras Government that it is undesirable to accentuate the differ-
ence between Muhammadans and Hindus by making Hindustani in lieu of the current verna-
cular the medium of instruction, where the Muhammadans show themselves ready to attend
the ordinary schools of the country. Where this is the case, the local vernacular should be the
ordinary medium, the special wants of Muhammadan youths being met by the formation or
Hindustani classes and teaching them the Arabic character. There may, however, be tracts
where Muhammadan feeling would prefer the establishment of special schools, and in such
places the recommendations of the Commission should receive attention. In secondary schools
of all kinds facilities for the study of Arabic or Persian should be offered wherever there is a
real demand for this.
(B) Bombay.—The Local Government merely remarks that " the special wants of Muham-
madans have had attention; ” refers to the monthly grant of R500 towards the Anjuman-i-
Islam school; and adds that “ the Governor in Council is prepared to aid further in the exten-
sion of Muhammadan education should opportunity offer.”
Although here, as in Madras, the educational condition of the Muhammadan population
taken as a whole is not altogether unsatisfactory, there can be no doubt that in certain localities
as in Sind, there is an urgent call for special measures; and the Governor General in Council
would wish to see the same further examination of local wants initiated that has been sug-
gested for Madras. Some steps should certainly be taken to encourage Muhammadans to read
up to the higher standards. At present here, as in other provinces, they specially fail to
pursue their studies beyond the lower stages.
(C) Bengal.—The Lieutenant-Governor remarks :— •
The proposals for the support of special Muhammadan schools, and for the special encouragement of Mu-
hammadan education in ordinary .schools, are worthy of liberal consideration. Many of them are already in
force in this province; the chief innovation being that for the creation of a special class of scholarships for Mu-
hammadan students. To this, no doubt, objection may be raised, just as objection has been, not without force,
raised to the principle of this special proposal in Mr. Barbour’s dissent. The Lieutenant-Governor, however,
thinks that if it can be shown that in any locality the number of Muhammadans who gain scholarships is not in
due proportion to their numbers and position, a fair case will have been made out for exceptional, though he will
also add temporary, treatment. The other recommendations under this head are conceived in a liberal spirit,
and may he accepted, except in so far as they recognise the substitution of Hindustani for the Hindi vernacular.
If by Hindustani be meant that language which, written in the Hindi or Nagri character, is the common speech
alike of Muhammadan and Hindu in Behar, the Lieutenant-Governor has no objection to offer. B,ut if the
recommendation mean that the policy which has prevailed for some years, of conveying primary instruction to
Muhammadans in Behar through Hindustani expressed in the Hindi character, is to be reversed, then the Lieute-
nant-Governor must very strongly dissent from the recommendation as being opposed to the true interests of the
Muhammadans of Behar. Finally, the Lieutenant-Governor is not disposed to support the establishment of
normal schools or classes for Muhammadan teachers exclusively. Little is gained by such separatism.
The Governor General in Council trusts that the Bengal Government will give effect to
its views. There is no intention to reverse the decision of the Local Government in the mat-
ter of adoption of Hindi as the Court language of Behar, and as the ordinary medium of in-
struction in the primary schools of that province. Where the Muhammadan population is
strong and likely to attach special importance to Oriental teaching of a Muhammadan type,
care should be taken to meet this want, with a view to making the schools popular and induc-
ing the better classes to allow their children to push their studies eventually to a higher stand-
ard, especially in English. But equal care is necessary to prevent the absolute separation of
the Muhammadan community from the rest of this population. It must also be borne in mind
that it is only by an acquaintance with the current vernacular that Muhammadans can hope to
secure employment. It has already been shown in this Resolution that very much has been
done by the Local Government to meet the requirements of the Muhammadans in Bengal, and
it may fairly be. said that they have now every opportunity offered them of securing a good
education. If it is found that anything further is required in any part of the province, or at
It has been shown in paragraph 11 above that the condition of the Muhammadans in
Southern India is, from an educational point of view, by no means unsatisfactory. All funds,
provincial, local, and municipal, are bound by the Grant-in-aid Code to give special encourage-
ment to Muhammadan education. The experiment of separate schools has not been successful
and is not, the Director of Public Instruction thinks, necessary, except to some extent in Madras
and one or two large Muhammadan centres and for the Moplahs on the west coast. Some
increase of the subordinate inspecting agency for Muhammadan schools is, however, admitted-
ly desirable. While the board results for the whole province leave perhaps little to desire, the
Governor General in Council thinks it would be well were .the officers of the Educational De-
partment directed to examine more particularly, in communication with district officers and the
leading members of the Muhammadan community, the educational provision for the members
of that community in each district, with a view to seeing whether in special localities more
effect should not be given to some of the recommendations of the Commission. The backward
state of the Moplahs seems especially to call for attention. The Governor General in Council
is disposed to agree with the Madras Government that it is undesirable to accentuate the differ-
ence between Muhammadans and Hindus by making Hindustani in lieu of the current verna-
cular the medium of instruction, where the Muhammadans show themselves ready to attend
the ordinary schools of the country. Where this is the case, the local vernacular should be the
ordinary medium, the special wants of Muhammadan youths being met by the formation or
Hindustani classes and teaching them the Arabic character. There may, however, be tracts
where Muhammadan feeling would prefer the establishment of special schools, and in such
places the recommendations of the Commission should receive attention. In secondary schools
of all kinds facilities for the study of Arabic or Persian should be offered wherever there is a
real demand for this.
(B) Bombay.—The Local Government merely remarks that " the special wants of Muham-
madans have had attention; ” refers to the monthly grant of R500 towards the Anjuman-i-
Islam school; and adds that “ the Governor in Council is prepared to aid further in the exten-
sion of Muhammadan education should opportunity offer.”
Although here, as in Madras, the educational condition of the Muhammadan population
taken as a whole is not altogether unsatisfactory, there can be no doubt that in certain localities
as in Sind, there is an urgent call for special measures; and the Governor General in Council
would wish to see the same further examination of local wants initiated that has been sug-
gested for Madras. Some steps should certainly be taken to encourage Muhammadans to read
up to the higher standards. At present here, as in other provinces, they specially fail to
pursue their studies beyond the lower stages.
(C) Bengal.—The Lieutenant-Governor remarks :— •
The proposals for the support of special Muhammadan schools, and for the special encouragement of Mu-
hammadan education in ordinary .schools, are worthy of liberal consideration. Many of them are already in
force in this province; the chief innovation being that for the creation of a special class of scholarships for Mu-
hammadan students. To this, no doubt, objection may be raised, just as objection has been, not without force,
raised to the principle of this special proposal in Mr. Barbour’s dissent. The Lieutenant-Governor, however,
thinks that if it can be shown that in any locality the number of Muhammadans who gain scholarships is not in
due proportion to their numbers and position, a fair case will have been made out for exceptional, though he will
also add temporary, treatment. The other recommendations under this head are conceived in a liberal spirit,
and may he accepted, except in so far as they recognise the substitution of Hindustani for the Hindi vernacular.
If by Hindustani be meant that language which, written in the Hindi or Nagri character, is the common speech
alike of Muhammadan and Hindu in Behar, the Lieutenant-Governor has no objection to offer. B,ut if the
recommendation mean that the policy which has prevailed for some years, of conveying primary instruction to
Muhammadans in Behar through Hindustani expressed in the Hindi character, is to be reversed, then the Lieute-
nant-Governor must very strongly dissent from the recommendation as being opposed to the true interests of the
Muhammadans of Behar. Finally, the Lieutenant-Governor is not disposed to support the establishment of
normal schools or classes for Muhammadan teachers exclusively. Little is gained by such separatism.
The Governor General in Council trusts that the Bengal Government will give effect to
its views. There is no intention to reverse the decision of the Local Government in the mat-
ter of adoption of Hindi as the Court language of Behar, and as the ordinary medium of in-
struction in the primary schools of that province. Where the Muhammadan population is
strong and likely to attach special importance to Oriental teaching of a Muhammadan type,
care should be taken to meet this want, with a view to making the schools popular and induc-
ing the better classes to allow their children to push their studies eventually to a higher stand-
ard, especially in English. But equal care is necessary to prevent the absolute separation of
the Muhammadan community from the rest of this population. It must also be borne in mind
that it is only by an acquaintance with the current vernacular that Muhammadans can hope to
secure employment. It has already been shown in this Resolution that very much has been
done by the Local Government to meet the requirements of the Muhammadans in Bengal, and
it may fairly be. said that they have now every opportunity offered them of securing a good
education. If it is found that anything further is required in any part of the province, or at