Page 173 - Records of Bahrain (5) (ii)_Neat

The progress of slate education, 1939-1941 495

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wilh great (juaniiticB of book-learning, without auy training of oharactor,
I 6lr»n«ly urgo upon your Highness tho desirability of introducing into the
schools of J3nbrain dotiuito oharaotor-traiuing, as a regular part of thoir
duty and of thoir routino.
I do not mean by this that your Highuoss’s schools should noccssarily
try to inoulcato in tho boys all thoso virtuos which I havo onuiucratod
above, or that wo should try to turn Eastern boys into Wostoru boys. It
may bo that in Bahrain other and difforont <iunlities aro proforred or
uccdcd. In that caso it should bo a simplo matter for tho Education
authorities, perhaps aftor consultation with sorno of tho publio themselves,
to draw up a list of thoso positivo virtues which thoy would like to 6C6
taught iu tho schools and which thoy would liko to liud in tho youth of
Bahraiu after it has finished with school. I suggost that your llighnoss
should ask tho Education Department to draw up in writing a dotiuito
objective, as regards character-training, which could bo supplied to all those
who arc to bo entrusted with tho work ; for tho great thiug is to know
exactly what kind of oharactor wo wish to form, beforo wo bogin to
try to form it.

The new Inspector, if ho is a man of any ability in his profession, will
kuow all about tho largo literaturo which is now to bo obtained, in many
languages, and in tho form of 6cbool text-books, for tho special purposo of
training oharaotor. Theso books should bo used in the Bahrain schools. If
they arc not to bo found in Arabic, thoy should bo translated into Arabic by
tbo Inspector, for tho use of tho schools. (Tho translation of foreign toxt-
books into Arabic, for uso in Bahraiu, will bo discussed lator in this Report^.

But books arc not enough. Thoro must also bo contiuual prccopt and
continuous oxamplo, and theso cau como only from tho toachors thcmselvos.
It is thoroforo of tho utmost importance that your I-Iighnoss should ou-
deavour to ougago only such toaohers as are of tho highest moral oharactor,
ond who aro Buitablo in every way to 6orvo as examples to tho boys under
thoir caro.