Page 190 - Records of Bahrain (5) (ii)_Neat

510 Records of Bahrain

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JM if, when they ask for “ secondary education”, fcheso pcoplo moan
that they w«nl tho boys of Bahrain to bo taught all of tho twolvo, thirtoon,
or fourteen subjects which tho “secondary schools” of ootno of tho
Arab states endeavour to oram into their schoolboys, no greater mistake
could possibly bo made. I havo 6eon a good deal of this kind of “ educa­
tion ” and 1 can nssuro thoso who aro asking for the saiuo sort of thing in
Bahroin that its results aro doplorablo. What happens is this : Whilo tho
European boy is studying sovon, or at most eight, subjects at his socondary
school, tho Arab boy of tho sauuo ago, in eomo of thoso Middle Eastorn
schools, is proudly " studying ” as many as fourtcon. Ho calls it studying,
but no boy in tho world can properly study fourteen subjects togothor, and
the Arab boy, in reality, is only looming by hoarb, and cramming into an
no comprehending mind, a groat mass of isolated facts, whioh ho thinks may
hoof ubo to him in some future examination. Whon thoso two boys ovontually
leave school, tho European boy knows his fow subjnots roally well, whilo
tho Arab boy is loft with a more smattering of a largo nurnbor of subjoots
which bo bus novor proporly grasped. I myself know of an Arab Stato in
whoso highest "secondary sohool" tho 6ubjeob of Chemistry has actually boon
"studied" for two years without apparatus of any kind, and 'without any
chemicals. Tho only form of equipment was a Chemistry book. Suoh a
state, of affairs would bo laughablo, were it not almost tragic. Again, in
Europe u boy’s education is inado to lib bis future career, and after ho has
reached tho aco of about fourteen his school studies include only such
subjects us aro likoly to bo of futuro use to him ; whoroas in tho East evory
boy in theso strange “ secondary schools" is mado to study every subject on
the progriimmo, oven though nob one 6tudout out of ton will ever find an
opportunity of mulring use of such knowledgo aftor ho has loft school.
Thera is no roason why Bahrain should make tho sumo mistakes as aro
being mudo elsowhoro, by slavishly following what is boiug dono in othor
countries. Especially should Bahrain howaro of taking as oxamplos tho
cduoutiomil systems which aro now in voguo in tho Middlo East, for thoso
fystoius aro very far from being mocessful, or ovon satisfactory. Tho
results, as I havo said, are often doplorablo. Lot us plan for Bahrain an
educational policy to 8uib Bahrain, aud pay no attention at all to what our
neighbours aro doing.
Bearing in mind all tho relevant factors, I consider tho following pro­
gramme of education to bo tho most suitablo for the Govornmont sohools of
)our Highness's State, and I recommend your Highnoss to adopt it:
l|Jie begins his eduoational lifo at tho ago of 0, by ontoring ono of
o iMrsb Stage,, or Infants’ sohools. Thoro ho rccoivcs Religious Instruo-
>on and Training in Character, and learns to road and to write Arabic.
Arabic Arithmetic—tho Four Rules only. Ho is given a groat
a of .Iiinual Occupation, of tho Kindorgarton kind, and ho is tiiugut
Tin» l'1^* roc°>v08 Health Instruction and ho undorgoos Physical Drill,
hnf *u Class Singing. Ho is taught nothing olso whatsoever,
Ihn riU P,C^8 UP indirectly an elomontury knowlodgo of tho History and
v. .o^phy of his Island, through ono of his roading-books — tho Infants
'un.ot lJ?° Hi3kory of Bahrain, which has already boon disoussod. His
w in tno First Stage lasts three years (extensible to four), and tho
m which he sits aro Nos. 1, 2, and 3.
all .\bo^ccond. °r Intermediate Stage of school life (tho final Stago foi
rLx\Z\ °,roi11,y br|ght boys) is spent in tho threo lowor closes of tho
■» boys sohools, in tho oaso of Manumah, Muharraq, or Hodd, or