Bengal Presidency Part 3 (Final) - Report on Tradational Indian Education system in British Period by British agency before the starting of British Modern Education.

Nalanda University

The reports of Madras and Bombay presidency was not complete it was lacking something big with which Britishers were not accustomed. There was an unconventional method of education in India which was “Home Education System”.

In Bengal Presidency the survey was done by a Missionary Mr. Adem a non Govt. person. He was educated in Sanskrit and Bangla and was in close contact with Raja Rammohan Roy. He had great faith in Indian Traditional Education. He got the authority letter for survey from Lord William Bantik, Viceroy of India. In between 1835 to 1838 he presented 3 reports to the Government.

In his 1^st report Adem says in Bihar and Bengal there are 1, 00,000 village schools and if the population of these areas were 4, 00, 00,000 then at per 400 people there is 1 school. It seems there was 1 school in every village.

In his 2^nd report Adem in detailed described one Thana or police station named “Battor” of   ‘Rajshahi’ district. He writes that there were 485 villages and the population was 1, 95,296. Adem got 27 Primary school and there were 262 students. Apart from this in 238 villages 2,342 boys were studying in “Home Education System”. The number of the students was 9 times greater from the primary school.

There were 38 Sanskrit MahaVidalaya and 397 students were studying there aged between 11 to 27 years. There was no girl’s education for which Raja Rammohan Roy and others fought.

The data shows that the female education was very much neglected though it was not altogether absent. Certain regions like Malabar and Joypoor in Vizagapatam made a better showing then other areas.

 3^rd report of Adem was of great importance. In it there was the detail of Murshidabad, Virbhum, Bardman, South Bihar, and Tirhut districts. In these districts there were 2,567 schools. In them Bangla, Hindi, Sanskrit, Farsi and Arbi was taught. There were 8 schools and 242 students where English was taught.  6 schools were for girls where 214 students. In Bardman district for higher studies in Sanskrit there were 190 schools and 1,358 students. Like that there were schools for Farsi and Arbi too. In South Bihar district there were 291 schools and 1,489 students.