(6) Government must obviously make up its mind to bear the entire expense of maintaining these Colleges for an indefinite time to come; and it is consequently to be regretted when proposals for increasing the efficiency of these Institutions are unable to be carried into effect for want of those funds which are so lavishly bestowed upon such Institutions as the Presidency College. 11. The Scholarship Examination of the Government Mr. H. Woodrow, M. A. Revd. K. M. Banerjea. * English Colleges was conducted this year by the gentlemen named in the margin. Their Report, and an analysis of the numerical results of the Examination, will be found in Appendix C., and some remarks on the same subject are also contained in Mr. Woodrow's Report for the year. In comparing the several Colleges with one another, their relative efficiency appears to vary according to the test employed. Thus we find that the greatest per-centage of Students who obtained more than half the maximum number of marks for Scholarships was from the Presidency College, while Kishnaghur shows the highest per-centage of lads who got more than one-third marks. Again, we find that the highest general average of marks was gained by the Students from Kishnaghur and the lowest by those from Dacca. 12. The result of the above Examination appears to be on the whole very satisfactory, and I think that great credit is due to the Mofussil Colleges for sending up lads year after year to compete, and compete creditably, on terms of perfect equality, with those coming from the more favored Institution in Calcutta. Not only are the Instructive Establishments in the Mofussil Colleges very inferior in numbers and pay to those at the Presidency, but their efficiency is injured by the operation of the Rule for " Mofussil Bursaries" devised by the * Appendix A., page 84. Council of Education in 1854, and which will be found at page 47 of the (printed) Scheme for the Presidency College. It was intended as a means for "connecting the Presidency College with all the Mofussil Colleges and Schools," but it might have been more correctly described as a Rule for supplying the Presidency College with clever Scholars at the expense of the Mofussil Colleges. It may I think be questioned, whether there is not already a sufficient tendency to flock to the Metropolis, and whether, if the Mofussil Colleges are to be any thing better than "High Schools," to which condition it is the opinion of Mr. Lodge and some others of authority they are rapidly approaching, it would not be wise to rescind a Rule which every year deprives those Colleges, as well as the Schools which are their feeders, of their most promising pupils, and transfer them with stipends of Rupees 10 a month to the Metropolitan Institution. 13. No Students came up this year for Examination for "Honors." In other words, no Students remained long enough at any of the General Colleges to complete their four years' course and qualify for the College Diploma. This difficulty, in inducing lads to remain. more than a year or two at College, has been much felt within the last few years. It arises chiefly from the fact, that the demand for educated labor exceeds the supply, a state of things which leads to tempting offers of salary and independence being placed at the disposal of lads still at School, or in the first year or two of a College career. It is to be hoped, that the prospect of obtaining a University Degree will tend in future to counteract this disposition to leave College before the conclusion of the course. 14. Of Institutions for imparting a special or professional Education, the Medical College stands first. Of this it may perhaps be sufficient to say, that it maintains its high reputation, and to refer in proof to the Reports of the Principals and the Government Examiner, which will be found in Appendices A. and C. 15. After the death of Mr. James McRae, the late Principal, much difficulty was again experienced in filling up that appointment, owing, it is believed, to a general feeling, that its emoluments were not in proportion to its responsibilities and requirements; and the College was consequently, for the greater part of the year, without a Principal. The appointment, it appears, was offered to seven Medical Officers in succession, and would have been offered to others, had not their unwillingness to accept it been known. The College is fortunate in the gentleman who at last, on his return from England, has consented to take charge of it as Principal, but the appointment is not on a satisfactory footing, and the Hon'ble Court of Directors have recently desired that one of the most important conditions with which it is coupled shall be "re-considered." 16. The Law Department of the Presidency College, or, as it might almost be designated the Law College, has advanced in efficiency and popularity during the year, and, of the six Students who completed their course this year and came up to the final Examination, every one was found qualified for the usual Diploma. 17. This Department is in *Professor of Jurisprudence Rs. 400 Municipal Law 300 Rs. 700 partment. It has consequently charge of but two Pro ** fessors, whose salaries taken together only equal the allowances of a single Professor of the General Denever been in as effi cient a state as might have been expected, and has been, so to speak, kept going only by means of various makeshifts and unsatisfactory temporary arrangements. As however, in spite of all difficulties, the Institution promises to be a popular and successful one, and as the number of pupils has increased beyond the power of the two Professors to do justice to, I lately proposed to put it upon a permanent basis, by raising the salaries of the Professors to an aggregate of Rupees 1,500 a month. The Lieutenant-Governor recommended the proposal to the favorable consideration of the Supreme Government, but the latter authority thought that an increase of Rupees 300 a month would be sufficient, and at the same time directed that the Professors should not be allowed to hold any other Office conjointly with their Professorships. These orders necessitate the removal of both the present Professors, and the appointment of two other gentlemen in their place. The effect of the change will be matter for a future Report. 18. The new College of Civil Engineering was opened in November last, and its Registers show an average of attendance of thirty-one Students. Its Second Examination for the admission of new Students was held in May last, but on this occasion, I regret to say, only two Candidates presented themselves, neither of whom came up to the prescribed standard. For this apparent failure to secure popularity among the rising generation, many causes have been assigned, such as the formidable competition of the other and older professional Colleges, (viz. those of Medicine and Law), the comparative uncertainty of securing a livelihood on completion of a course of Education in Engineering, the novelty and in some respects unpleasing and uncongenial nature of that course, and so forth. It is perhaps too soon to pronounce upon the share which each of these or other causes may have had in producing the result referred to. The subject is, however, engaging the anxious attention of Lieutenant Williams and myself. The Instructive Establishment of this с College is as yet on a very small scale, and proper means have not yet been provided for imparting instruction in Geology and other branches of Physical Science essential to the Education of a Civil Engineer. 19. Babu Joykissen Mookerjee's very liberal offer to share with Government the expense of maintaining an Institution of a Collegiate character at Ooterparah is mentioned in paras. 9 to 11 of my Report for the 2nd Quarter of the I am inclined to think that the acceptance by Goyear. vernment of such offers as this would be a great step towards carrying out more than one important principle laid down in the Education Despatch, and I trust that the proposal may some day be re-submitted in a form which may ensure its acceptance accordingly. 20. Of the Government" Zillah Schools," it may be safely said that they are at least as successful as any part of the system at work. They are generally speaking well attended, efficient, and popular. Their administration is based upon fixed and intelligible principles, and the regulation of all matters of internal economy, even to the adjustment of salaries, within certain restrictions, rests with the Local Government. With very few exceptions, the Local Committees take considerable interest in the welfare of these Schools, and much good is done by the frequent visits paid to them by the Members of those bodies and the Inspectors of Schools. 21. The leading principles kept in view in regard to these Schools are those indicated in para. 8, and where, in consequence of the increasing demand for English Education, we find, as we sometimes do, a difficulty in preventing the Government School from being over-crowded, the fee levied is gradually raised, and inducement and opportunity are thus afforded for the establishment in the neighborhood of one or more private Schools under the Grant-in-Aid system, |