regarding the personal virtues and domestic and social duties.
The teacher, in virtue of his character, or in the way of advice or
reproof, exercises no moral influence on the character of his
pupils. For the sake of pay he performs menial service in the
spirit of a menial. On the other hand, there is no text or school-
book used containing any moral truths or liberal knowledge, so
that education being limited entirely to accounts, tends rather to
narrow the mind and confine its attention to sordid gain, than to
improve the heart and enlarge the understanding. This
description applies, as far as I at present know, to all indigenous
elementary schools throughout Bengal.
ELEMENTARY BENGALI SCHOOLS (pp.137-146)
It is expressly prescribed by the authorities of Hindu law
that children should be initiated in writing and reading in their
fifth year; or, if this should have been neglected, then in the
seventh, ninth, or any subsequent year, being an odd number.
Certain months of the year, and certain days of the month and
week, are also prescribed as propitious to such a purpose; and
on the day fixed, a religious service is performed in the family by
the family-priest, consisting principally of the worship of
Saraswati, the goddess of learning, after which the hand of the
child is guided by the priest to form the letters of the alphabet,
and he is also then taught, for the first time, to pronounce them.
This ceremony is not of indispensable obligation on Hindus, and
is performed only by those parents who possess the means and
intention of giving their children more extended instruction. It is
strictly the commencement of the child’s school education, and
in some parts of the country he is almost immediately sent to
school; but in this district [Rajshahy] I do not find that there is
any determinate age for that purpose. It seems to be generally
regulated by means and opportunities of the parent and by the
disposition and capacity of the child; and as there is a specified
routine of instruction, the age of leaving school must depend
upon the age of commencement.
The Bengali schools in Nattore are ten in number,
containing 167 scholars, who enter school at an age varying
from five to ten years, and leave it at an age varying from ten to
sixteen. The whole period spent at school also varies, according
to the statements of the different teachers from five to ten years;
two stating that their instructions occupied five years, one six
years, three seven years, two eight years, one nine years, and
one ten years—an enormous consumption of time especially at
the more