Page 309 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (III)_Neat

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Rs. 25,000 was spent upon building the first four class rooms of a new school in Manama intended for
Shias. The school was named the Jaffaria school and the Shia Bahama of Manama contributed
Rs. 5,000, towards the cost of the building. Another committee, consisting of Shias, was formed to
assist in the management of the new school. Committees have always been popular in Bahrain, at
times they have been of real value though perhaps more often they have been a hindrance. Some
of the teachers in the new school were Shia Iraqis, remotely connected with the Shias of Katif and
Bahrain, unfortunately they developed strong political leanings which occupied them more than the
work for which they were paid, the progress of the school was also seriously hampered by dissensions
among the committee members who invariably disagreed about the employment and payment of the
local teachers.

School Strikes.—In 1348 (1929-30) there were serious disturbances among the schools which
originated in a quarrel between the teachers and the Sunni committee. The foreign teachers organised
a strike which they persuaded the boys tp take part in. There were demonstrations on the Egyptian
pattern and a certain amount of hooliganism. The Government closed all schools for some weeks,
dismissed several foreign teachers and enlisted an Inspector of Schools, from Syria, who was recom-
mended by the Beyrout University. When the schools were re-opened conditions were normal.

The Jaffaria school was completed in 1349 A.H. (1929-30) in which year the Government spent
Rs. 61,000 on education. The new school was capable of holding about 400 boys and is now one
of the Manama Primary Schools. During this year an attempt was made by the Government to
combine the two school committees into one Education Council but though the Sunnis welcomed the
proposal the Shias refused to co-operate and for a little while longer the two committees continued
to exist, directing most of their energy towards opposing any greater control by the Government over
the schools. However, certain reforms were put through affecting the conditions and terms of the
teachers and Shaikh Abdulla bin Isa was made Minister of Education, a somewhat anomalous designa­
tion as no ministry has ever existed in the State; however the title carried more authority than that
of Chairman of one of the committee.

Both school Committees finally faded out in 1350 (1931-32). The disagreements among the
members of the Shia Committee caused most of the parents to withdraw their boys from the school
and the Sunni Committee, having lost financial control and the authority to make appointments,
gave up taking any active interest in education affairs. From then onwards, education became the
direct concern of the Government with Shaikh Abdulla at the head of the administration. Though
progress was uneven, henceforward educational affairs advanced more smoothly.

Government Control of Schools.—The first important act of the Government, in 1351
(1932-33) was the amalgamation of the Sunni and Shia Schools into one primary school in the Jaffaria
Schoolhouse. This was strongly opposed by the Shias and for some years they boycotted all schools.
Only Rs. 34,000 was spent on education this year, owing to the serious decline in revenue, but in
spite of less money being spent on education there were more students in the schools and progress was
satisfactory.

During the two following years various advances were made, the first village school was opened
in Sitra in 1354 (1935-36) and in the next two years schools were opened at Suk-al-Khamis, Budaya
and Hedd. There was no reluctance on the part of the village Shias to send their children to school. :
Budaya catered for Shias from several neighbouring villages and Arabs from Budaya; Suk-al-Khamis
provided a school for children from Bilad-al-Qadim, Senabis and other villages; the school at Hedd,
the third largest town in Bahrain, with a population of about 4,000, soon developed from a village
school into a town school, mainly because the teaching staff were recruited from Muharraq and were
therefore better educated than the village teachers.

The village schools did not set out to provide more than a very simple education consisting of
Religion, Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. The boys were sons of poor parents, divers, fishermen
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