Page 277 - Records of Bahrain (5) (ii)_Neat

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The progress of state education, 1939-1941 597
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,»ut 10, and the curriculum roraainod the some, since tho mullns wore

Ho incaprblo of making ugo of the now booko. After sorao preliminary
..jpngftnda in the district oorvod by tho school, one of the best teachers

•roo Uanomoh was sont to Budayyi' as headmaster, tho mullna boing retainod
;r roli6ious teaching alone. The following day oloven new boys arrived
\ tho ochool in a body, und by tho end of tho month tho number of rogular
i
Uendanto had roachod a total of 52. It was then suggested, both to the
and to tho boys,
•rentoy^that in futuro only ono hour each day should bo dovotod to Quran
•d to Roligion, and that tho root of tho time should bo givon to Reading,
j
jilting, find Arithmotic, and wo offered, if this woro agreed to, to supply

isecond good toacher. No single objection was raised, tho mullos thom-
ulToa 3uying that they wore woll aware of thoir own limitations, and that
hey r;ould welcome tho urrivol of efficient teachers. Accordingly, a second

;;od teacher was sent out from Man am oh, and tho numbers again increased
jiOQ 52 to over 60. They have now reached 74, and it has been necessary to
.
{lose the school - which consisted of a single long room - and to commence

illding a considerable extension. The erection of two largo additional
iaasrooms is being carriod out entirely by local labour, supplied by the
troo villages servod by tho ochool, and tho headmaster is himself super-
'tonding tho building operations. Tho school is oxpectod to re-open in

•out a week’s time.
Tho experience gained at Budayyi' School makos it clear that what is
!edod in tho village schools above everything olso is efficient teaching,
'A that tho local peoplo are far more olive to general situations that one

'ght bo inclined to oupposo - os witness their indifferonce towards mere
lament, pnd thoir immediate rosponso to tho supply of efficient instruot-
••• It also suggests that thoy are Iosg bigoted in religious matters than
1 commonly claimed, as shewn by thoir ready agreement to the reduction of

toaohing to a singlo hour a day, when for years it had boon the sole
'kject of instruction in the village sohools. At the same time, I should
1 the first to ogroo that it is useless to try to spring changes on these

SU without careful preliminary propaganda, reasoning, and dear explana-