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Report On The Inspection Of Chiefs College 1937PDF 29
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The tentative nature of this decision suggests that the Governing Body
have rightly decided to proceed cautiously and mainly by way of experiment,
Tt is essential that this experiment should prove successful ; otherwise, very
little scope lics before the College. The mattor is cf such vite] importance that
[hope to be excused for making a fow suggestions.
16. Though I am convinced of the wisdom cf this important innovation
made by the Governing Body, the interosts of éhosc who have loyally
supported the College in the past should notin any way be jeopardised. They
should always receive preferenco over others in the admission of their sons,
provided that they fulfil the other conditions ofadmission, Great care should
also be taken in regulating the admission of those who do not comply with the
original conditions in order to ensuro that all entrants shall be such as are
likely to benefit by the life of the place.
17. Though, again, I yield to none in my appreciation of the great Public
Schools of England and though theso schools possoss certain valuable charac-
teristics which are of value in any country, I deprecate any slavish imitation
of such schools. What is needed in Raipur and clsewhero in India are schools
which, while possessing certain characteristics associated with English public
schools, are yet indigenous and rooted in the soil. Such schools should be
evolutionary and not revolutionary in their growth ; they should ho developed
very largely by the light of experience and of experiment.
18. Such also, I presume, is the opinion of the Governing Body and of
the Principal. I shall be content with giving two illustrations of the manner
in which a vital departure has already boen made—and rightly—from the
English Public School tradition,
In spite of recent developments, English public schools are still dominated
very largely by the study of anciont classical languages, but this College has.
never accepted that tradition. .
I have already referred to the improved teaching in geography ; what is
even more significant is the humble beginning already made in the teaching
of theoretical and practical agriculture. . .
T visited the College farm. Tho agricultural mestor has made a praise-
worthy beginning, but he is almost totally lacking in professional knowledge
and training. He should be sent fcr training os soon as possible as, in my
opinion, he holds perhaps the master key to future developments.
The influence of a farm should permeate the tea ching and training through-
out a college, whose pupils are so closoly connected with the land. The boys
should first learn to value the dignity‘ of manual Jabour and not become
contemptuous of dirt}ing thoir hands and their, clothing. Hard work on
the farm and in the garden isan essential preliminary to a proper undersiand-
ing of agriculture and to an appreciation cf the beauties of-nature. .A study
of arithmetic, again, will become more of a reality it it is intimately associated
with the products of the farm and their sale. For this purpose, the accurate
keeping of farm accounts is indispensable, though a credit balance is not by
any means the most urgent necessity. Science, again, may well bocome of
grcater utiliiy and interest to the boys if it is illustrated hy oxperiments
Telating 1o plant lifo, the nature and humidity of the scil and so forth. The
teaching of drawing should also be largely circled round plant and vogetable
life rather than in painting conventional pictures (with the active assistance
of the drawing master) for the adornment of the art room. ‘The provision of a
small museum and a laboratory in agricultural science is indispensable,
Another subject which might well be doveloped is that of civics or public
administration, especially in view 0” the high positions which many of the boys
will be called upon to occupy after leaving College.
19. The second fundamental departure from the English Public School
tradition which has already been mado liés in the sphere of sports. In English
public schools the ordinary conventional games hold a dominating position ;
those boys who do not possess average capacities in these games must find it
difficult to join fully inthe lite of their school. It is significant -that the
Principal of this College has recently abandoned the playing of cricket by the
Collego, a game which is often described in England as the King of Games,