Mr. Assistant Professor Brennand of the Hooghly College was deputed to conduct the general annual examinations. The following is his report:

"I do not know any school where the fluctuations in numbers have been greater than in this. During the 9 months, from November 1850, to September 1851, there have been 62 admissions, and during the same period, 50 removals, namely 26, who from various causes have withdrawn ; 19, who have been dismissed, for default of payment of schooling fees, and 5 others for misdemeanors.

"The average number on the books from October 1850, to September 1851, is 90, and of these, the average daily attendance for the same period, is only 61, or only two boys of three have been present daily. This irregularity of attendance may be partly accounted for, by the fact, that they come mostly from villages, at distances of three and four miles; there are only 16 who are from Barrackpore. The effects of this irregularity, and of the changes occasioned by removals, must manifestly be prejudicial to the usefulness of the school.

"The following is a table of the respective classes, the average attendance, &c:

"Of the eight boys who form the first class, four were candidates for junior scholarships, two were absent, and the remaining two, I examined in the subjects of the junior scholarship course. Bolonath Mookerjee acquitted himself creditably in most of these subjects.

"The progress of the second class (the average age being 154 years) has been exceedingly small, in every subject except Geography. They have been attempting to commit History to memory, and one or two of them have got as far as 18 pages of Goldsmith's Greecian, and 30 pages of Roman history. They do not generally read with correctness, and their pronunciation is not very good.

"The third class passed a fair examination, in almost all the subjects in which they were examined.

"The progress of Sections A and B of the fourth class, has in general been satisfactory.

"There does not seem to be any regularity in the arrangements for writing, which in some measure accounts for the bad penmanship that prevails. A quantity of stationery is allowed monthly, to a few of the boys, and if some system was pursued, by forming the paper into copybooks, and by devoting to this pursuit a portion of the time of each day, a great improvement in this branch would soon be perceptible.

There has been some increase in the amount of schooling fees, in November 1850 the monthly sum realized was 35 rupees 12 in August 1851 it had increased to 52 rupees.

annas,

"A surplus fund of 400 rupees has accumulated, and is in the hands of the head master.

"The school house containing only one room, is not very well adapted for four classes. It is in good repair, and the library and furniture are in good condition."

Vernacular Schools.

The following is the Report of the Sudder Board of Revenue, on the working of the Vernacular Schools during the past year:

"From the statement on the margin, it will be seen, that during the

whole or a part of the year under review, five schools were in operation in the Patna Division, the number being the same as in the preceding year. There is, however, a falling off in the total average daily attendance of 15 boys. The number of pupils on the rolls at the commencement of the year was 129, the admissions during the year were 81, and the withdrawals 92, leaving 118 on the rolls at its close. The expense incurred by Government on account of teachers was rupees 1,027-8, which, apportioned amongst 77

pupils, the average number in daily attendance, gives rupees 13-5-5 as the cost of instruction to each pupil, per annum.

"The amount of fees received during the year, rupees 46-14-9, added to the balance of former years, gives a total of rupees 147-8-5, of which rupees 14-10-3 have been disbursed, leaving at the close of the year rupees 132-14-2 at credit of the account; rupees 36-15 were also realized by the sale of 93 books.

"The school at Sasseram in the Shahabad District was abolished by the orders of Government dated the 29th July last, on the recommendation of the Board contained in their last annual report; and subsequently, under the orders of the 14th of February last, the school at Chuprah in Sarun was also abolished.

Behar.

"Of the three remaining schools in this Division the local authorities have recommended the abolition of those at Daoodnuggur in Behar and Arrah in Shahabad. The former was visited by the Collector, and the result of the examination held by him is thus reported. 'On the whole I was extremely dissatisfied with the result of this examination. Nothing in my opinion could have been worse, or 'exhibited a more lax and inefficient mode of education. Many of the boys had been on the roll for more than three years. Some of them

·

were approaching manhood, and their attainments would have disgraced any boy of ten years of age, who had been an attendant at the Gya School for a few months. They read and answered like parrots, and when put out of their usual routine by a few viva voce questions, were almost as much abroad as if the subject had never occupied their attention.'

In the opinion of the Commissioner the school has never been appreciated by the inhabitants of Daoodnuggur, the daily attendance being only from 12 to 17, although the population of the town is nearly 30,000. "The school at Arrah after long trial has been pronounced by the Collector, Mr. Travers, to be a failure; and in this opinion Shahabad. the Commissioner, who has visited the school several times during the year, entirely concurs. There has been no improvement in the school, but on the contrary the attendance has fallen off.

"Under these circumstances the Board concur with the local officers in recommending the abolition of both the above schools.

BHAUGULPORE DIVISION.

and

"The school at Buxar is favorably reported of. The new master appointed by Mr. Travers has proved an efficient teacher, and the pupils acquitted themselves very creditably on the occasion of their examination by the Commissioner. Several of the principal inhabitants of the town have manifested an interest in the school, and have undertaken to form a committee for the management of it. With the view of encouraging the master, he has been promoted to the second grade, and the board have sanctioned the distribution of prizes to the most deserv ing pupils, as far as the funds of the school will admit. The school house is reported to be in good condition. "The number of schools in the Bhaugulpore Division is the same as in the preceding year, the average daily attendance is nearly the same, being only five less. The number of pupils on the rolls at the commencement of the year was 256, the admissions during the year 187 and the withdrawals 169, leaving 274 at its close. The expense incurred by Government on account of teachers was ru pees 1,560, which, apportioned amongst the average number of pupils in daily attendance, gives rupees 9-11 as the annual cost of tuition for each pupil.

District.

School Stations.

Bhaugulpore,...

Monghyr,

Purneah,...
Maldah,

...

Mynoodeen Chuck
in Bhaugulpore, S

Average
daily

attendance.

14

Monghyr,

20

Sheikpoora,

20

...

Purneah,

17

161

years, gives a total of rupees 696-15-10, of which rupees 35-11 had been disbursed, leaving at the close of the year rupees 661-4-10 at credit of the accounts, rupees 72-13 were also realized by the sale of 226 books. "In the District of Bhaugulpore there is but one school, and it is situ ated at the Sudder Station. During the year of report Bhaugulpore. the average daily attendance has fallen off from 27, at its commencement, to 14 at its close, the cost of tuition for the latter number being rupees 17-2-3 for each pupil, while not a single book has been sold. The Collector states that the establishment of Missionary Schools has seriously injured the Government Vernacular Schools, education being afforded gratis in the former and books given away. Under these circumstances the Board doubt the propriety of keeping up this school, and beg to be favored with the orders of His Honor the Deputy Governor on the subject.

"In the District of Monghyr there are two schools, one at the Sudder Station and the other at Sheik poorah. The former was Monghyr. visited by the Commissioner when on circuit, and he reports a slight improvement in the school. The answers given by the boys to the questions put them showed that the master had taken much pains to teach them Geography, and to ground them thoroughly in Urdu; but not so in Arithmetic. The school house is said to require slight repairs.

"The school at Sheikpoorah has not been noticed in the Commissioner's report, but the tabular statement accompanying it, shows a decrease in the number of pupils on the rolls from 38 to 32, and in the average daily attendance from 23 to 20. The school house requires repair. "The school at the Sudder Station of Purneah, the only one in the district, has not improved at all during the past year. Purneah. On the contrary, the average daily attendance has decreased from 20 to 17. The school house is reported to be much out of repair. "The Commissioner states that he has been unable to visit the schools in this District, and no report from the Deputy Collector

Maldah. has been submitted by him. The Board are therefore unable to furnish detailed information regarding the schools. The school at the Sudder Station appears however to be in a flourishing condition, the number of pupils on the rolls having increased from 80 to 100, and the average daily attendance from 54 to 60. The school house is said to be in good order.

"Five out of the seventeen schools allotted to the Moorshedabad

Division, have been in operation during the past year, the number of pupils on the rolls at its commencement was 257, the admissions during the year were 130, and the withdrawals 95, leaving 292 on the rolls at its close. The aggregate daily attendance averaged 219; and the total expense incurred by Government on account of teachers was rupees 1200, or rupees 5-7-8 per annum for each pupil.

"The schooling fees realized during the year amounted to rupees 143-5-2, which added

to the balance of the last year, gives a total of rupees 353-6-5. Of this sum rupees 56-4 had been expended, and rupees 297-2-5 remained in hand; rupees 112-4-3 were also realized by the sale of 294 books. "The school at Hatempore in Beerbhoom, the only one in the district, Beerbhoom. was visited by the Collector in December last, and again by the Commissioner on the 29th January. The result of the examinations showed that the pupils had not made so much progress as those of some other schools in the Division, but they read the books they had studied with fluency, and answered questions put to them from the class books. In Arithmetic the first class did a few sums