- The education of the Hindoo youth generally commences
when they are five years old. On reaching this age, the master
and scholars of the school to which the boy is to be sent, are
invited to the house of his parents. The whole are seated in a
circle round an image of Gunasee, and the child to be initiated is
placed exactly opposite to it. The school master, sitting by his
side, after having burnt incense and presented offerings, causes
the child to repeat a prayer to Gunasee entreating wisdom. He
then guides the child to write with its finger in rice the mystic
name of the deity, and is dismissed with a present from the
parents, according to their ability. The child, next morning
commences the great work of his education. - Some children continue at school only five years, the
parents, through poverty, or other circumstances, being often
obliged to take them away, and consequently, in such cases, the
merest smattering of an education is obtained; and when
parents take a lively interest in the culture of their children’s
minds, they not infrequently continue at school as long as
fourteen and fifteen years. - The internal routine of duty for each day will be found,
with very few exceptions, and little variation, the same in
schools. The hour generally for opening school is six o’clock. The
first child who enters has the name of Saraswatee, or the
Goddess of learning, written upon the palm of his hand, as a
sign of honor, and, on the hand of the second, a cypher is
written, to show that he is worthy, neither of praise nor censure,
the third scholar receives a gentle stripe; the fourth two, and
every succeeding scholar that comes an additional one. This
custom as well as the punishments in native schools, seem of a
severe kind. The idle scholar is flogged, and often suspended by
both hands, and a pulley, to the roof, or obliged to kneel down
and rise incessantly, which is most painful and fatiguing but
perhaps a healthy mode of punishment. - When the whole are assembled, the scholars according
to their number and attainments, are divided into several
classes. The lower ones of which are placed partly under the care
of monitors, whilst the higher ones are more immediately under
the superintendence of the master, who at the same time has his
eye upon the whole school. The number of classes is generally
four; and a scholar rises from one to the other, according to his
capacity and progress. The first business of a child on entering
sean pound
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