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Report On The Inspection Of Chiefs College 1937PDF 8
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fi, The general scales of salary compare ‘favourably with those obtaining
in the ordinary schools of the Punjab, but are not excessive in view of tlie
importance of the institution and of the manifold duties which members of the
staff are expected to perform. The only question is whether the present
incumbents possess the qualifications and the competence to justify their
comparatively high emoluments. I am doubtful whether this is so in a
number of instances, What astonished me most was the limited attein-
ments of many masters. I suggested tothe Principal that, in the lower
classes in particular, class teachers would be preferable to subject teachers.
He agreed with me, but contended that he could not carry out this salutary
- suggestion because many teachers are unable to teach more than one or
two subjects, even to small boys.
7. Tho finaacial position of the College cannot but cause grave concern.
The reduction of an annual deficit from Rs. 12,224 in 1931-32 and from
Rs. 11,696 in 1932-33 to approximately Rs. 5,000 in the current year reflects
credit on the Pyincipal, but a closer examination of the position will remove
all justification for complacency.
Some of the recent retrenchments have beon salutary, but a number of
them can be regarded only as temporary and unfortunate expedients to meet
a serious emergency. The European staff has been reduced in number from
three to two by the departure of Mr. Brotherton. Vital interests are being
starved. The class-room equipment is in sore need of renewal ; the provision
of class-libraries is urgent ; the repair of buildings and roads has been long
overdue ; the electrical wiring and installation should be renewed ; the playing
fields (once the glory of the College) have been allowed to fall into disorder.
Unless these essential improvements aieto be further postponed, there is
imminent dange: cf a deficit of Rs. 30,000 in the next year with the result
that the Joss on the running of the College will amount te over half a lekh in
the short space of four years.
8. While, therefore, there is little or no possibility of a further reduction
in expenditure, it is equally difficult in present conditions to anticipate an
increased revenue. A disquicting feature of the situation is the comparatively
small proportion of the revenue which is met by fees. Indeed, the income
from grants and donations (Rs. 55,950) actually exceeds the total income from
fees by Rs. 9,000. The continuance of the former source of revenue cannot
be regarded as assured ; and the endowments of the College are negligible.
Even the small endowments, which exist, ate earmarked for the payment
of scholarships. Indeed, the total income from scholarship endowments
plus the total incomo from other College investments falls short of the total
loss of fee income from scholarship holders by approximately Rs. 10,000.
Thus, in addition to possessing no effective endowments, the College has to
start with an obligation annually to provide a sum of Rs. 10,000 before it
hogins to estimate its normal expenditure.
In these circumstances, it is not surprising that the temptation of ad-
mitting boys, however unsuitable, and of thereby expanding the revenuo is
rarely resisted. In every class-room which I visited my attention was drawn
to the wide disparity in the ages and attainments of the pupils. I examined
orally in English the Diploma class, but the boys were so varied in capacity
that they could easily have beon distributed between three classes, No
school can be healthy unless boys are admitted at much the same age and with
much the same attainments.
9. The only way out of the present financial impasse, as also of the
educational impasse, is a considerable increase in numbeis.
In the organisation of an educational institution, it is essential first to
decide what is the economic unit, In Aitchison College, with iis seven classes
or forms, the economic unit would approximate 170 boysonthe assumption
that cach class shall contain an average of 25 boys. . If parallel classes
are to be instituted (and such classes should be started from the bottom and
*be repeated in succeeding years in each higher olass), the next economic unit
would approximate 340 boys. Thus, the cost of providing instruction for 170
boys would not be materially greater than the present cost of providing for