Page 269 - Records of Bahrain (5) (ii)_Neat

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The progress oj state education, 1939-1941 589

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There will, it is true, be some small incidental expense; a
few of the pooror boys of llcdd and even of Muharraq reaching
the Final Stage must be enabled to travel free to and from
Manama, but the total expenditure will only amount to a few
rupees a month.

5. It will be seen that there must be some further delay
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before real improvement con be expected in the Manama and
Muharraq Intermediate Schools, but I think this need cause i
no misgiving for the plan now adopted has been worked out
on intelligent lines and offers promise for the future. : *
Before leaving this section of my report I should note that
the Bahrain Government have accepted the principle that fees
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should be charged for education in Final Stage. The exact
amount of fee to be charged and the exact arrangements to b e
made to enable the children of poor parents to obtain a com­
plete course of education remain to b e settled. It may also
be noted that tuition in the Final Stage will b e mainly in
English. This I think is desirable though it certainly involves
some preliminary teaching of English in the Intermediate Stage.
Provided however that this is restricted to the teaching of
Roman characters in the second class of the Intermediate Stage
v/ith elementary reading and writing in the third class, it need
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not interfere with the accepted principle that Arabic should i
be the teaching medium for the Intermediate Stage.
6. Finally there remains the question of the Technical
School. I have already forwarded a copy of Mr. Hutchings i
Report and have pointed out that it sets forth a scheme which
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is far beyond the needs and capacity of Bahrain. The question ■
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of reducing that scheme to more manageable proportions has been ;
examined and I have had some discussion with the Adviser and
the Hi rector of* Krinrfflvinn. Tt. •>« noo«nt.«fj that technical
education is probably the chief essential in Bahrain, and there
can /-