Page 295 - Records of Bahrain (5) (ii)_Neat

The progress of state education, 1939-1941 615

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<jiucusaion toot pluoo but that Dundus set forth
3orao of hio proposals without asking for any infor­
mation on what was now being done in eduoutionul
mat tors in Duhruin.

6. On page 2, section 2, there i8 a reference
to the system of competitive examinations for admis­
sion to the Kulliyah whioh, according to Dundas,
might result in sons of Shaikhs and notables getting
no education after the age of 13. This suggestion

shows an ignoranoe of the eduoutionul position in
bahruin. ^ boy who was incapable of passing the
kulliyah entrance examination could not arrive at
the top olass of one of the other schools ut the age
of 13. Dull boys are forced by the examination
system to spend a second year in euoh olass whioh

means that a dull boy starting school life at six
or seven would not be ready to leave school till
16, 17 or even 18 at whioh uge young shaikhs normally
marry, oons of shaikhs and notables are already well
represented in the Kulliyah.
There are, in addition to government schools,

t.vo flourishing private sohools, one in Mnnamah and
one in muharruq, attended by about 200 and 100 boys
respectively. They are patronised by sons of shaikhs
and notables as well as lesser fry. Shaikh Abdullah
lies suggested giving these schools some financial help

in the same way us has been suggested in the case of
aUtUft'Q schools. Tho boys who are unable to puss the
examination into the present Kulliyah are really
stupid and would uot us u drag on the more intelligent*.