lages, every pupil paying between 6 and 9 pies, making at the end of the month a magnificent income ranging between 3 and 4 rupees; every bihistee, hurkara, and even a pariah, working by manual labour, realising twice, or thrice, or four times this sum. And, as our educational statistician has remarked for his gurumahasyas in Eastern India, that income too is realised, not in coin, but frequently in bajree, ghee, dal, and rice! Indeed, in these circumstances, it will be perceived that a vernacular schoolmastership in villages, and we have reason to say even in cities also, is the last resource of Indian humanity, betaken to only when every attempt at any other livelihood has sadly failed. Without any education whatever, ignorant even of the first elements of knowledge, never having even once in their lives known the happiness of original thought or reflection on anything about them, and possessed only of a passable penmanship (though without correct orthography) and some of the rules of arithmetic, it is the height of folly to expect that any education is imparted to the children by schoolmasters for they themselves have received no education at all; and it is the instruction imparted by these teachers that we take into VERNACULAR TEACHERS. 225 consideration when we calculate that in Bengal, the best circumstanced of all parts of India, 1 child is instructed out of every 120 inhabitants! Owing to our limited age, influence, and means, we have several sources of information closed upon us; but still, with the disadvantages inherent in our position, we can very safely arrive at a satisfactory conclusion on the requirements of India. The scheme of educa tion in our Western Presidency, so far as dissemination is concerned, has rapidly been furthered under the present regime, and we find Government minuting in 1859-60 a very high degree of satisfaction: "Progress of Education.-In paragraphs 16 to 23, Mr. Howard submits a general summary of the of the progress of education, showing that the number of schools has increased from 211 in 1855 to 761 in 1860, and the number of pupils from 23,681 to 44,166. This result must be regarded as most gratifying; and its favourable character is enhanced by the fact alluded to in the 21st and 22nd paragraphs, of the considerable sum contributed by the people of the Presidency (Rs. 2,15,556) to the educational fund. The Honorable the Governor in Council has also not failed to notice the testimony borne by Mr. Howard in the 23rd paragraph to the general improvement in many educational details besides attendance statistics." We have been kindly favoured by an educational authority with the statistics of our Presidency for the year 1862, showing the progress made since the above minute : |