Page 193 - Records of Bahrain (5) (ii)_Neat

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The progress of state education, 1939-1941 513

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We n »w como to tho important question of Control.

Since I lie dopnrturo of tho lato Inspector, there hits been no central
control of the schools of Bahrain, and where thoro is no contral control
there can of coui so be no unity of purpose and no uniformity of practice.
Furthermore, tho many radical changes which are necessary in all tho
fclioul* except tho Technical School, and tho many improvements and
innovations which I am puggrating, through this Iteport, that your Ilighnoss
should iimlio. cun hardly ho carried out at all except by 60ino coutral
authority, and one which is capahlo of exercising constant supervision. I
therefore consider it to bo of tho highest importance that Bahrain education
should bo supplied at tho oarliest possiblo inomout with olliciout central
control.
What form should this control tako ? In my opinion, tho ideal would
ho for your Highness to appoint a British director of oduoation, with an
Asiatic assistant, or mufettish, to work with him. But a British director would
Lean expensive appointment, and if it is ouo that cannot bo allordod, tbon
tho next best thing would bo to appoint a now mufettish alouo, as soon as
possible. This man should be well-educated and broadmindod, with good
educational qualifications, rcully interested in education and possessed ofsomo
experience of European education, or, failing that, of American education.
A Lebanese or a Palestinian would probably suit Bahrain bettor than a
Syrian, and the best choice of all would bo a man who has all or most of
tho above qualifications, bub who has in addition a livoly appreciation of all
tlinshuins and absurdities of somo of tho Middle Eastern systems of oduca-
lion : for such u man would know what to avoid in Buhrain, and would
certainly find himself in agroomonb with most of tho educational ideas
foniiulalcd iu this Hcport.

The kind of man whom wo do not want is ono who would oomo to the
Island in a spirit of superiority, or ono who would look upon his post merely
us nn opportunity of providing his friends with luorativo posts. What we
need is an earnest-minded man, who will como prepared to subscribe to tho
policy of Bahrain for tho Bahrainis, and who will plan things in such a
way Unit after a few years it will bo possiblo to rocruit tho whole of tho
teaching stall for tho schools from tho Island itsolf.

Such a man as I lmvo desoribod could hardly bo sccurod at a salary
of less lhan about 500 rupees por month. I should suggest that ho bo
given a four-year or five-year contract, with small yearly increases in
salury, hut that his contract should bo striotly torminablo at short notice
if it were found by tho Govornmont that tho neocssary roforms were uot
(icing instituted, or maintained, or that tho educational standard did uot
improve, or that tho Mufettish himself proved to bo uot strong onough in
pui>ou;il character to control hi9 subordinates and to put au end to that
most nndosirublo ascondancy of foreign toachors over nativo toachors, to
"huh I havo already referred.
. 1 respectfully advise your Highness to appoint as soon as possible
either a .British director of education and a now mufettish, or oEo a now
mufettish ulono. And if your Highness's ohoico falls upon a new mufettish
n °im, j further advise that tho Eduoation Department bo askod to employ
ut the end of each sohool yoar tho sorvicos of a compotont outsido
examiner, whoso duty it would bo to sot, or at any rato to approve, all the
examination questions to bo auswored by tho boys in tho final oxiuniuutions
°1 each Stugo, and also to correct, or at any ruto to 6uporviso tho oorrootion