Page 221 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

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about five years. In some schools only Quran is taught, in others the pupils learn to read and
write. The schools serve a useful purpose as preparatory schools for children entering the
Government schools.

Staff.—-The teaching staff worked harmoniously during the year. The teachers who were
recruited from Egypt proved more experienced than those from other Arab Slates, Palestinians
seemed to be somewhat dissatisfied with local conditions and seven of them resigned at the end of
the school year. The attitude of the Palestinian teachers docs not encourage the Government to
increase the number of Palestinians in Government posts.
During the summer vacation the Director of Education visited the Lebanon and Egypt in
order to recruit teachers. In the Lebanon, greatly due to the valuable help which he received from
the senior British Council Representative, Mr. R. W. Highwood, he enlisted 5 Palestinians and 7
Lebanese. In Egypt he was given much assistance by the Minister of Education who agreed to make
available for service in Bahrain 10 experienced teachers on the same terms as those who had previously
been employed. At the beginning of the year there were 130 teachers on the staff of whom 33 were
foreigners consisting of 9 Egyptians, 5 Syrians, 7 Lebanese, 4 Indians and 8 Palestinians, the remaining
97 teachers were from Bahrain, mostly young men who obtained their education in the Government
schools.
Teachers’ Training Class.—The Teachers’ Training Class, for the Secondary School students,
was continued throughout the year. Nine boys graduated at the end of the term and became teachers
in town and country schools and 12 boys joined the class at the beginning of the next term.

Higher Education Abroad.—At the end of the term five more boys were given scholarships
to the American University of Beirut bringing the number of scholarship holders up to eleven. Yusuf
Shirawi, holder of a Government scholarship and Jasim Fakhroo, who had been sent to Beirut in­
dependently, passed their B.A. examination. They are the first Bahrain boys to obtain a degree.
Yusuf Shirawi was appointed as Science master in the Secondary School. Reports of the progress
of the other scholarship holders are not altogether encouraging.

Secondary School.—The Secondary School continued to make good progress, at the beginning
of the school year it contained 131 boys. The standard of work in the school compared favourably
with that of similar schools in neighbouring countries. When the school moves into its new building
it is proposed to start special courses for the boys of the two top classes perhaps with an additional
year’s study for those who ate specialising in certain subjects. At present an inadequate knowledge
of English makes it difficult for Bahrain boys to extend their education by attending courses in England.
Two young teachers were sent to Nottingham University for a nine months course but they failed
to obtain their certificate in English studies and consequently two more candidates, who were to
have been sent to take the same course, were not accepted by the college authorities, It has been
suggested that all prospective students for courses in England should first pass the Cambridge
Certificate of Proficiency in English.
Hostel.—There were 52 students in residence at the hostel during the year attending Technical,
Secondary and Primary schools and the Teachers’ Training Class. In addition the hostel provided
mid-day meals, on payment, for 33 masters and mistresses who lived outside Manamah. The hostel
was used for meetings, cinema shows and social gatherings. The new hostel is equipped for 100
boys so next year it will be possible to accept more entrants from outside Manamah and to take in
more paying boarders from Manamah.

Town Primary Schools.—The Town Primary and Infant Schools functioned satisfactorily
throughout the year. The time spent at infant school was reduced from 3 years to 2 years. The
experiment of keeping the infants in separate schools, in Muharraq, was found to be successful and
at some future date separate infant schools will be opened in Manamah and in Hedd. A further step
which would bring these, schools more into line with schools in other countries would be the employ­
ment of women teachers in infant schools.