Page 118 - Neglected Arabia Vol 2

I r, NEGLECTED ARABIA

>lan<l|M'int would be the best result seems already to have taken place." s
Mr. 1 ‘ennings took over charge of the Bahrain Hoys’ School when Mr.
Ilakken went home on furlough. The average attendance was 50 hoys. In i
the fall the Syrian teacher suffered a prolonged and severe illness which *
delayed the re-opening of school alter the summer vacation. Mr. Pen-*;
nings has begun an evening department for hoys and young men desiring
advanced work in English. The school has been housed in a rented native
building badly adapted to school needs especially as the school is growing.
However, a friend of the Mission has agreed to build a suitable schoolhouse
and to rent it to us. This building is now under construction and the school 1
looks forward to larger and better quarters. i
Bahrain has witnessed a change in the attitude of the people toward
education. To quote Mr. Penuings. "As to the future, it is certain that j
education is in the air in Bahrain. The previous attempts at holding school,
taught by any chance mullah who happened to be handy, have been re­
placed by well-conducted schools backed by a British-advised government '■
and taught by intelligent teachers imported from Syria. And one who at­
tends their examinations must conclude that they do some excellent work. \
In fact, there is a demand for higher education. A young mini whu lined :j
to attend our school went to Beirut last year. I le came home for the sum- “
mer but on his return he took some eight other young men with him, pone .1
of whom had been in our school. . i .
“But I am sure it is unwise to regard these schools as rivals or a menace ■
to the existence of our own school. Where there is such a growing desire
for education, there will be an increasingly large number of fathers who *
desire that advantage for their sons, and sons who are willing to study, hi
fact, our numbers now are greater than they were some years ago when
there was no other school in the place . . And there is a distinct need. \\’c
find the younger generation hard to reach. Indifference is harder to
hat than active opposition. In the school we can get in close contact with a
certain number of the younger men. Many of our best friends in the town
have become so through contact with us in our school.”
In Muscat, too, the Government has established a school. Mr. Van
Peursem writes, “In March, a government school was opened with great ^
pomp and formalities. This school has attracted some of our smarted 3
pupils It looked for a time as though there was no more room for our little 1
school But, strange to say, we are hack at our usual enrollment of fifteen.* :
The government teachers are imported from Syria and are paid hand- \
some salaries and are given long vacations but they seem unsympathetic and j
do not care to mix with the Muscat men and it remains a question as to '
what the future of the school will be. “In any case,” continues Mr. Van \
Peursem, "as long as we can get fifteen boys in our school we shall continue .!
to carry on. We have opened our school in the evenings for young men.
So far the attendance has l>cen around seventeen ami this may l>e consid* *
cred very encouraging . . In all (if our classes the Gospel of Matthew it
taught and the hoys and men regard this as pari of our daily program, 0w *
morning and evening sessions always close with the singing of a Gotpet j
h)n\Ve are thankful that the Mission still has two schools for girU j*
Arabia. Would it were possible to have one in each station! The Uainfc
Girls’ School opened a Kindergarten this year and of it Miss Keltic

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