The subjoined are extracts from the Inspector's report, who visited Jessore about the close of the year:

"I regret it is not in my power to give as favourable a report on the progress of education in Jessore as I had anticipated, or as might have been expected from the length of time the school has been established; but I trust it may be shewn to arise from causes over which the Inspector and masters can have but a very limited control; and that it will appear the local authorities have given every encouragement and countenance in their power to further the objects of the Government.

"In the first place the proverbial unhealthiness of this district, and of this station in particular, has never permitted of anything approaching to a fair average attendance of pupils in proportion to the numbers borne on the rolls, and has in the majority of cases prevented them pursuing an unbroken course of study. I do not mean to be understood that sickness alone causes the irregularity of attendance, and am far from believing it occasions even the greater portion of it; but still it is admitted to exist to such an extent, that it becomes the acknowledged evil of the place, and no other cause is ever assigned for absence, whether short or protracted, to the masters, who are not able to ascertain the truth of the case, and are at the same time compelled to admit its probability. The following statement, gathered from the registers for the last scholastic year, will speak for itself. At the commencement, the first class consisted of 14 pupils, and another was afterwards admitted, but two proceeded to Kishnaghur College on scholarships, one died, one was dismissed for immoral conduct, one obtained employment under an Indigo Planter, two left assigning poverty as the cause, and one giving no reason, thus only seven remained on the rolls to complete the course of study; and of these seven, only four were in attendance during the whole period of my visit. The second class began with 13 students and admitted three more, whilst one was degraded, and nine left, leaving six at the close of the year and five in attendance for me to examine. Whilst this shews such an unusual decrease in the two highest classes of the school, it leaves but nine out of 31 to be reported upon a number too small to enable me to speak with confidence on the general proficiency of the most advanced students, and so small as to leave an unfavourable impression of the actual benefit the school is at present conferring on the district. The third class alone has remained constant during the year. The attendance till the vacation was good; and twelve out of the sixteen it contains, were present for examination. The fourth, or last class, is generally formed by admissions during the year, and seldom contains boys who have been eighteen months in the school. It here began with 26, and has since admitted 47, whilst 14 have left and two died, leaving fifty-seven, whose attendance since the month of August has been remarkably bad; and, during the time of my visit, did not average more than 34 a day. From this statement it may be ascertained, that though one month had elapsed since the school opened after the vacation, there were but fifty-four out of eighty-six in attendance, or upwards of 36 per cent. absent; and I think a minute examination of the registers would shew that the majority did not receive more than seven months' instruction during the year.

"Independent of the irregular attendance of the students and of the sickness of the masters, the time of my visit was unfavorable for report

ing on the progress of the former. It took place shortly after the long vacation, after most of the boys had been absent from the school routine and had not opened a book for nearly two months.

"The pundit returned on the last day of my visit. Since my last report the assistance given by the Local Committee towards encouraging this Institution, in accordance with the views of Government, has been most cordial and judicious. Independent of the four Government scholarship holders at the Kishnaghur College, they have sent four more,` the next in merit, to the same place on funds of their own, and are now prepared to send two others, and they have very much increased the value of the second mastership by building in the school compound a neat pucka house with out-offices, &c., for his residence: it is a building which any European on 100 rupees a month would consider as a valuable addition to his salary. The head master has good accommodations in one wing of the school house, without interfering with the rooms for the classes, and during my stay I did not observe the slightest encroachment of domestic matters into the school rooms; indeed no one would be aware that he had a large family under the same roof."

Subsequent to the above, the head master, Mr. Smith, was removed to the Dacca College, where he will have charge of a class, for which his abilities are more suited than for the superintendence of a school. His place was filled by Mr. DeSouza from the Dacca College, and Mr. Gregory was appointed as second master in the room of Baboo Janamejaya Dass, transferred to Commilla.

Although no boys were sufficiently advanced to compete for junior scholarships this year, yet the condition of the school

was deemed satisfactory, especially when regard was had to the short time which had elapsed since its first establishment, and to the local obstacles in the way of success.

The following extracts contain almost the whole of the Inspector's report, who visited Burdwan at the commencement of the present year:

"Towards the close of 1845, when this school was first established, the number of students reported to be desirous of entering it, was so great that it might not only be inferred, that instruction was much required at Burdwan, but that the school itself would have rapid success. It may be doubted, however, if that number consisted of boys really anxious for education and willing to pay for it; and from the result I am inclined to think that many merely put their names down and attended for a few days out of curiosity without any serious intention; and that still more they did not value it at the rate of eight annas a month. On payment being afterwards demanded a great many at once left, and others it was found necessary to strike off from time to time when they had run in arrears for three months and then refused to contribute any thing; so that at present there are not more than fifty-two on the rolls, and an average attendance of about forty-two.

"There are two causes which satisfactorily account for the defection of the pupils, and for the irregularity in their attendance. The first is, that this school has to contend against two long established free ones, situated in the heart of the city, the one conducted by the Missionaries, and the other liberally supported by the purse and influence of the Rajah of Burdwan. This last may be strictly considered as an opposition school, for when Mr. Ward, who was its former head master, was appointed to superintend the Government school, the Rajah took some offence at losing his services, and determined by establishing scholarships, or in fact by paying boys for attending, to support his own with double vigour. He has consequently by far the greater number of scholars, or indeed all the children of the many persons of every class, connected or dependent upon him, some of whom could well afford to pay for their education; and who would, were it not for his influence, be now in the Government school. The Missionaries have got between fifty and sixty pupils, most of them old, and all, I should say, poor, and therefore its opposition is only slight. The second cause for the few numbers is its unfavorable situation; it is out of the way, and a considerable distance from where the natives chiefly reside.

"I cannot consider either of these causes as of serious importance, or likely to affect ultimately the success of the Government school, the first indeed is rather an advantage, for it is now giving an English education to upwards of two hundred youths in Burdwan, and is creating a desire for knowledge, which, as it increases, will benefit in the greatest degree the best conducted Institution. If the permanency and efficiency of private establishments could be depended upon, the question would arise if the Government might not with advantage transfer their school to some less favoured station.

"The cleanly appearance and clothing of the students is unexceptionable, all of them are dressed well, many of them even handsomely, and are evidently from the better classes of society. The schooling fee paid

by the more advanced is one rupee a month, and by the lower boys twelve or eight annas each, according to the class in which they are placed, and in all amounts to 40 rupees per mensem. Every boy, I have little doubt, would readily pay one rupee, but whilst there are so few, I would hesitate to make any change with the sum originally fixed by the Local Committee, and wait till an increase of numbers made additional masters requisite, when the extra expense might be covered by raising the fee.

"I was not prepared to find the studies of the first class had advanced so far in two years; but I ascertained that all the boys in it were previously educated in one or other of the free schools, and the best had followed the head master on his removal from the Rajah's. Of the ten students composing it seven were present, one sick and two absent, not likely to return; but on many days, when I visited the school not more than three or four were present, and in this respect as well as their general bearing in the school they appeared to be far too independent; and I was obliged to call the attention of Mr. Ward to the exercise of a little more discipline. For examining them in reading and explanation, I selected the same passages as those I had given to the third senior class of the Kishnaghur College, and for ease, correctness and appreciation of the subject three of these were equal, if not superior to the best there. As a body they are much younger, speak English better, and though they have a less amount of general information and less matured judgments, they have more capacity for receiving instruction, and are in every respect more promising. In arithmetic they are not good, and

in geography they are very bad.

66

5

1st

2d

17

за

15

4th

15

Generally throughout the school the boys had been made to read too difficult books, and I found it necessary to degrade some and to lower the standard of all the classes, after doing this Class. Students. they stand as noted in the margin. The five in the first class are proceeding with the junior scholarship course and must compete next year. They must be partly instructed, partly superintended and directed in their studies by the head master, who has besides the entire instruction of the third class, and they must be made, now they have come to years of discretion and can perceive their own interests, to study at home out of the school hours, and to improve themselves without having a master constantly at their elbows. They will be taught for one hour a day by the second master in Bengallee, and will be with the first for another hour and a half to have explanations and their English exercises and examinations corrected. The second class will be in charge of the second master, and the fourth under the third. This arrangement appears to me the least objectionable in a school where there are only three masters and four classes, and where the second could not be joined to the first without injuring many promising youths, nor the first to the second without throwing a considerable damp on their exertions and ardour.

"The students under the second master have made a very satisfactory progress for the two years they have been under instruction, they read very nicely and have been well grounded in English, they are backward in geography and arithmetic, and a few are old and unpromising; but I have formed a favorable opinion of their teacher, and consider him deserving and well qualified for his situation, so I fully expect the majority of his pupils will do well."

A great influx of numbers has taken place at this Institution, owing to the abandonment of the free school at the same place, many of whose scholars sought and obtained entrance into the Government school.

Owing to this cause, as well as to the mismanagement of the late head master, who was finally dismissed from his situation, a great want of discipline was apparent to the Inspector on his visit in February last. The measures he adopted for disciplining the school, and weeding it of several scholars, whom he deemed impediments to its well doing, were approved of by Government. Mr. Watson was appointed on Mr. Spear's dismissal, but has since resigned, and his place is not yet filled up.

The building which the Secretary to the late free school kindly made over to Government, it is in contemplation to place at the disposal of the head master for his temporary residence.

At the annual examination junior scholarships were awarded to Baradanando Mukarji, Jadunath Mukarji and Madhusudan Mukarji, and they were accordingly directed to join the Kishnaghur College.

The residents having petitioned through the Inspector for the appointment of a regular pundit, they were informed that, though such offices were not part of the Government scheme, yet on their raising by subscription the amount of the monthly salary requisite, the proposal would be taken into consideration. A request for additional masters was negatived.