The Modern Review/Volume 29/Number 5/Bengal Teachers' Conference

Bengal Teachers’ Conference

The teachers of Bengal did well to hold a conference with the object of improving their position. It is not then material condition alone which requires improvement. They must be re-established in their ancient position of respect in society for the good of society and themselves.

Their choice of a president was very judicious. Sir P. C. Ray is a most distinguished teacher, who has throughout his career made a strenuous (and, we should add, successful) endeavour to live up to the ancient Indian teacher’s ideal of voluntary poverty, plain living and high thinking. He has lived for and among his pupils and is revered and loved by them. Our description of him as the Doctor of Doctors has become current coin and it is becoming truer as the years pass and more pupils of his become Doctors of Indian or foreign universities.

He delivered an important, instructive and interesting address. He said in part

The school-going population may be taken to be 2 lacs in the whole of Bengal. These are the future hopes of the country, the makers of our destiny, the future torch bearers of light and civilization. The teachers, who are often paid worse than Head Constables of Police, are the custodians of this invaluable treasure, the richest asset of the land. It is in the fitness of things that this profession should be manned by the best and ablest of the land. If the outlay is poor, the best return could not be expected. If the prospect be not bright in the near future it will fail to attract the best men which would be most detrimental to the interests of the country.

So Dr. Ray advises the teachers to organise themselves into a united body so as to make themselves heard. He says—

If you all promise to pay a monthly subscription ot Re. 1, from each school, your income will be Rs. 850 per month. Out of the fund you can well afford to appoint a well-paid secretary and an agent whose work will be to edit your journal and visit different schools periodically to make the organisation living and cohesive. Your journal can also take up problems of education in general and thus prove its utility to the public at large.

No taxation is fair without an adequate representation. You must have your representatives in the Senate and Syndicate of the University and in the Legislative Council, if possible. The other day the Senate and Syndicate in their infinite wisdom have imposed a tax of Rs 100 as fee for continuance of recognition. Such an illegal and iniquitous rule has been passed without yourselves being consulted. Taxing the schools means the curtailment of the niggardly pay of a poor schoolmaster.

The teacher has a right to claim a decent pay but he should also know what the society expects of him. Sir Michael Sadler remarked the other day that he never saw a Bengalee student enjoy a hearty laugh—he is always gloomy and morose with a downcast look and it seems that he thinks that life is not worth living. The teacher ought to try to help the students in forming a better conception of life and living. Too much attention is generally paid to the narrow bounds of curriculum and he is regarded as the best teacher who gives voluminous notes and encourages cramming. The result has been far from what is desirable. Teaching must be such as to create a real and living interest in the subject and to inspire with a thirst for knowledge.

I have observed that the more learned and experienced a teacher is, the higher the classes given him to teach. This practice is exceedingly bad and this is perhaps due to a false conception of prestige. The young and pliant minds should be left in the hands of those who have the tact and ripe experience of years.