Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-16

was transferred from the East India COM
pany to the crown, there were only 2,O0o
public schools In aaiHIndia, with less than
100000 scholars, and even now with popu-
lation OF $4,000 900 dthere are only 14S.54I
institutions of learning of all kinds. In
GLIDING kndersartsns and universities; with
grand total of 4ka0,412 scholars. There
are of these ~. 16O1private institutions, with
63S. $50 scholars.
Education Not Compulsory.
Education is not Compulsory in India.
The natives are not compelled to send their
children to school and the officials tell me
that, If it were attempted there would be
great trouble. chiefly because of the Brah-
min priests, who, asiFI have already inti-
mated are decidedly opposed to the educa-
ton OF the masses. Normal schools have
been established in every province for the
training OF teachers. with 81, ia young men
and 2S33 young women as students There
has been slight Increase in the attendance
at school during the last few years In 1892
only III per cent of the children of school
age were enrolled and the average attend
ance was little over per cent. In 1902
the enrolment had increased to 1875 per
cent or the school population and the at
tendance to little more than per cent
VI the pupils in the public schools sos. 525
We're BrahmfnS and 2,269, $50 nom Bra hmins.
In the private institutions 1882 were Brah-
MINIS and the balance non-Brahmins.
Inere are several important art schools
IN 1ndia winch have been established and
are encouraged by the government for the
purpose OF encouraging the natives to pur-
sue the industrial arts. Lord Curzon has
taken decided interest In this subject and
rs doing everything In his power to revive
the ancient art industries such as brocade
weaving, embroidery, carving. brass work
ing, mosaic, lacquering. and others of a
decorative character. The tendency of late
years mas been to increase the volume Of
the product at the sacrifice of the quality
ana the foreign demand for Indian goods
ana the indifference of the buying public
as to their excellence is said to have been
very demoraiizing upon the artisans.
Working in Metal.
From an artistic point Of view the man.
fractures of metal are the most importan MT
products of India; the wood carvers of an
cfent times surpassed all rivals and still
nave well-deserved reputation. In every
village may be found artists of great merit
both in brass, copper, wood, silk and other
Industrial arts, but the quality of their
work is continually deteriorating and Lord
Curzon and other sincere friends of India
are endeavoring to restore it to the former
high standard. For that purpose art
schools have been established in Calcutta,
Lahore, Bombay, Madras and other places
nrst to train the eyes and the hands Of the
young artisans, and, second, to elevate
their taste and stimulate their ambition to
excel In whatever line Of work they under
take. There are several thousand young
men in these schools who have shown re-
markable talent and are beginning to make
their influence felt throughout the country
AS you may imagine, 1t is very difficult
to induce people to produce objects of high
art when those which cost less labor and
money can be sold for the same price. As
long as foreign demand for Indian goods
continues this tendency to cheaper the
product will be noticed.
By the last census it appears that there
were $3.50 publications in the native Indian
languages during the year 1900, as against
2,178 during the previous year; 1895 were
books and 600 pamphlets; 1916 Of the books
were original works and the remainder
were TRANSACTIONS; S32 were in the Bengal
language and the remainder were divided
among lightweight other languages, nine
ty-nine being in the isanscrit and 1Os in
Persian. Included in this list were poetry,
fiction, works Of travel, religious books,
history, biography, philosophy and several
on political economy. Among the Persian
publications I noticed "A History Of the
Russian Rule in Asia" among the trans
lations are Lord Lytton's Last Days Of
Pompeii'' and several popular novels; sew
eral Of Shakespeare suplays. There was
history Of England and series Of biogra-
plies entitled Lives of Great Women" in
GLIDING those of Queen Victoria, Queen
Elizabeth, Maria Theresa, Marie Antoinette
and the mother of Napoleon l.