DHARAMPAL • COLLECTED WRITINGS

are of various religions and castes indifferently. The children in
the native schools are generally sent to them at the age of 5
years, the term of their continuance there depends upon
circumstances, but it is stated that they generally acquire a
competent knowledge of the various branches of learning taught
to them before they attain their thirteenth year. The Collector
states that there are no schools endowed by the public,
excepting the charity schools. The payments to a teacher seldom
exceed 12 pagodas per annum for each scholar. The Sciences are
in some instances taught gratuitously to the children of the
poorer class of Bramins and sometimes an allowance is made to
the teachers. It will be observed that the estimate of the
population of Madras in this statement is greatly too high, and
there is reason to suppose that the proportion receiving
instruction and the number of schools are stated too low.