Page 196 - Records of Bahrain (5) (ii)_Neat

516 Records of Bahrain

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Having dealt with tho question of control, wo can now turn to matters
relating to Iho Touching Staff.
Tho first point is about tho Necessity for a Teachers’ Traiuiug School.
II is highly desirablo, from many points of view, that Bahraini boya
should ho taught exclusively by Bahraini mastors. Unfortunately such 8
chuugo cannot bo made immediutoly, since thero aro at presont not onough
•ulllciently-educated Bahraini teachers to fill all tho posts at tho schools.
But what cun bo made immediately is a beginning. Wo can start at ouco
lo train some of tho brightest and best-conducted of tho boys at our schools
lo bccouio schoolmasters, and wo can also start at once to givo somo of
tho present Bahraini touchers at the sohools a higher education than that
which they now possess.

Thero is nothing to be gaiued by sending tho young men who arc to
bo trained ns schoolmasters to any of tho neighbouring Arab states, for in
Bahrain we aro aiming at something suporior to anything that oxists in
those states. Tho othor alternatives aro Europe, Iudia, and Bahrain itself.
Europe would bo very oxpensivo, aud Iudia has disadvantages, though tho
education thoro is pretty good : from all points of view I am strongly in
favour of truiuiug Bahrain teachers in Bahrain itself.

Wlmt wo noed is a very small Teachers’ Training School, run under
the personal direction of tho Inspector, aud staffed by tho best of tho touch­
ers at tho othor schools. Tho school should bo an evening school
exclusively, since such an urraugomout would wako it possiblo for somo of
tho presont Bahraini mastors to attend it as pupils, and for somo of tho
present S)riuu masters to attend it as teachcra.

But wo aro going to find it impossible to porsuado Bahrain schoolboys
to oiler themselves as trainees at such a sohool unless wo aro prepared to
lunho a teaching career in Bahrain an attractive ono financially. Nor aro
wo going to bo able to persuado Bahraini mastors to undergo further educa­
tion at tho bauds of thoir Syrian colleagues unless wo aro propared to hold
out to them a coucroto. financial attraction in tho form of an increase in
salary for thoso who improvo their presont education to such an extent as
to beooiuo definitely moro cffioicut schoolmastore, and theroforo moro useful
public servants, than thoy woro boforo.

I suggest that your Highness should ask tho Eduoation Dopartraont to
work out as soon as possiblo a simple schomo for an ovoning toachors
“wwnfi school, on tho ubovo lines. Tho soonor this is done, tho noaror wo
shall bo to the desired day when tho toaohing staffs at all tho Bahrain
sohools will bo ono hundred per cent Bahraini.