द ब्यूटीफुल ट्री: १८वीं सदी में भारत की स्वदेशी गुरुकुल शिक्षा (धर्मपाल)

XIII COLLECTOR OF CHINGLEPUT TO BOARD OF REVENUE: 3.4.1823 (TNSA: BRP: Vol. 946, Pro. 7.4.1823 pp.3493-96 No.25)

1. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Secretary’s letter of the 25th of July last, and to transmit a state- ment in the prescribed Form, respecting the places of tuition and number of scholars in the this district.
2. There are no colleges properly so called but there are a few places in which the higher branches of learning are taught to a small number of pupils which I have classed separately.
3. A village school master earns from 3½ to 12 rupees per month. I think the average is no more than 7 rupees. The scholars are subsisted in their own houses and only attend the school during a part of the day. For the most part their attendance is very irregular. Few of the school masters are acquainted with the grammar of the language which they profess to teach, and neither the master nor scholars understand the meaning of the sentences which they repeat.
4. I do not find that any allowance has been made by the Native Governments for education in this district, but in some villages there are trifling Mauneoms, from a quarter of a Cawny to two Cawnies of land, for Vaidavartyars or Theological teachers.
5. I have published in the district that there is no intention to interfere with the people in the mode of education, and that no change is contemplated except it be to aid existing institutions.
6. Education cannot well, in a civilized state, be on a lower scale than it is and I much fear there does not exist the same desire for improvement as is reported of the natives of Bengal. Zillah Chingleput, Poodooputnum, S. Smalley, 3rd April 1823. Collector. (Statement on next page) 147