Page 389 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (II)_Neat

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enthusiasm. The senior pupils from Suq Al Khamis and Hedd arc brought in by bus so that about
700 boys see these films each month.
In Safar a sum of Rs. 1,000 was raised partly by the voluntary contributions of various members
of the Staff and partly by the performance of a play by the Manamah School.
A mid-year examination was held in Dilhaja for the Secondary School, and the Manamah, Muhar-
raq and Hedd Primary Schools. The same papers were given to all the Primary Schools and the
results interchanged for marking. This was an innovation and met with some opposition but the
results were very valuable. Much remains to be done in the standardisation of the teaching and in the
formation of a syllabus. Books are now on order which will make it possible for each parallel class
to study the same lessons. Hitherto the choice of material has been left largely to the Headmasters
and in some cases to individual teachers. Thus much time is wasted in repetition which cannot
compensate for the gaps in the pupils’ knowledge.
There is still a strong tendency, even among our best teachers, to make the boys rely on memory
rather than reasoning and understanding. One frequently comes across rules which have been com­
mitted to memory without being understood, so that as memory fades the rule becomes distorted.
Wherever possible the relation between the material of the lesson and the child's own personal expe­
rience should be emphasised. A series of notes on points of this nature are now in preparation and
will soon be distributed to all staff.
The spade work has now been done ; drastic changes provoking opposition are not now so
necessary. The results of the earlier work are now showing themselves in the smooth running of the
schools and the ordered progress of the pupils. The next few years should see a general improvement
in the standard of teaching and learning bringing our schools up to the level of those in other countries.
The number of teachers and pupils in the schools at the end of the year was as follows :—
Students .. .. 1,194
Teachers .. 53

GOVERNMENT GIRLS’ SCHOOLS.

The girls’ schools in Bahrain made good progress during the year. There was an increase in
the number of pupils in the Manamah, Hedd and Muharraq schools and about half way through the
year a new girls’ school was opened in Rafa'a. A local house was purchased by the government and
converted into a school containing three class rooms with a large compound and several outbuildings.
The following subjects are taught in Rafa’a Quraan, Religion, Reading, Writing and Arithmetic,
Sewing and Embroidery. The school is already showing satisfactory results.
In Manamah owing to the large number of new pupils it became necessary to increase the
number of classes in the school and five new local teachers were added to the staff. In Muharraq
also it became necessary to engage more teachers to cope with the new pupils. The mother of the
Headmistress who arrived from Syria during the year was engaged on part time work to teach English
and Dress-making and one new Syrian teacher was obtained for Muharraq school. All the local
teachers are girls who have passed through the government schools and have obtained the leaving
certificates.
The girls of Manamah and Muharraq schools presented two plays on behalf of the Bahrain
Fighter Fund and together raised over Rs. 1.600. The Publicity Department made arrangements
for the schools to see propaganda films from time to time, these have been very popular.
Special care has been paid to the health of the girls and nurses from the government hospital
visit all schools once a week. When necessary cases are treated at the Government Hospital. This
has resulted in a general improvement in health.
The school at Hedd is the least satisfactory partly owing to the fact that staff is not so qualified
as in the other schools and partly owing to the poverty of the people in Hedd and the under-nourished
condition of many of the children.

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