Page 363 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

Education and training 753
British Residency,
BAHRAIN.
(1741) ! August U, 195S.

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I
J
Dear Department,
Please refer to your letter KA 1749/2 of June 12 about
the imposed Bahrain Independent and Private Schools Regulation.
2. We did not receive this until after Judge Haines had left
and he did not discuss it with us; ho did however leave a minute
with us, a copy of which we enclose, We fool that your comments
on our draft reveal a considerable difference between us in the
approach to this matter.
3. We recognise that your proposals are more watertight and
legally more tidy than ours but what we wanted to do wu6 to
produce something which would give the Bahrain Government what they
want, namely an assurance that all Bahrainis will be taught Arabic
properly, while preventing any undue and arbitrary interference with
schools under H.M. 's jurisdiction* all this lias to be done up in a
package which will be accepted by the Bahrain Government (und its
Education Council) and a t the some time not cause too much offence
to our own legal exports. Your approach on the other hand appeurs
to start fx'om the assumption that u regulation of this kind in
desirable* we have managed quite well without one for many years
past und we are only bringing it up now in un attempt to.prevent
the Bahruin Government from introducing legislation which v/e could
not approve and which might lead to difficul ties Vetv/een the two
jurisdictions.
4. Before going further into the substance of this matter
we would like to wait until we cun discuss the problem with Muir,
the British Council Representative, who should return from leave
in September. There is also little that v/e cun do in the way of
discussion with the Bahrain Government as the Education Council is
in recess until October. The Bahruin Government still have no
legal or judicial adviser and we agree that it would be best not to
take the matter up until one has been appointed.
5. Wo are sending a copy of this letter to the Political
Agency at Buhruin.
Yours ever,
RESIDENCY.

Eastern Department,
Foreign Office,
LONDON. S.W.l.

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