Printed for the use of the Colonial Office, February 1900.
Eastern
No. 71.
CEYLON.
Memorandum as to proposed appointment of a Teacher of Drawing at the Technical College, Colombo, Ceylon.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
'ग थ 'ग
C.O. 882
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THE Technical College, Colombo, is supported from public funds and controlled by the Government of Ceylon. It includes Departments of Surveying and Levelling, Telegraphy and Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.
'The number of students attending the College was 82 at the close of 1898, but it is understood to have since been increased to about 120.
The staff of the College consists of a Superintendent, four Instructors, and two Assistant Instructors,
The duties of the proposed Teacher of Drawing are generally indicated in the following extracts from reports by the Superintendent; but are subject to modification in details.
"In reference to the duties to be performed by the Drawing Instructor for the Technical College, I have the honour to report as follows :—
"At first the Instructor would be engaged in organising the training of teachers of Elementary Drawing for service in the Schools of Ceylon. He would carry out that work at the Technical College, where it is proposed to provide accommodation of the required kind. His duties would include, from the outset, the task of advising on the measures to be adopted and the manner of carrying them out in order to secure that end, viz., the training of fairly efficient teachers of Drawing in Schools.
"Afterwards, when that primary work has been fairly organised, he would be called on to deal with classes of students in Drawing who have finished their ordinary school career, and, having shewn a bent that way, wish to pursue the subject. The students could be of both sexes. Further developments in course of time would naturally come about, if there is a real demand for them; and a School of Art where painting, modelling and decorative work could be taught, would gradually rise in proper sequence.
“His duties would be of an important kind from the beginning, and a highly com- petent person should be chosen.
"The other work of this department of the College would follow as soon as the above part of the scheme was fairly started. Or if there were delay or unexpected difficulties, it could commence first. The primary work (¿.e. of training teachers) indicated is worth the utmost endeavour. The task of getting Drawing adequately taught in more of the schools of Ceylon than at present, is too important to leave undone or unattempted.
"As to other work, the opening of classes for teaching Drawing, in general, at the Technical College, there would seem to be no special difficulties, and no need for a special programme now. The programme might well wait until a gentleman is appointed who has had experience of that work, and capable of carrying it out in the way best adapted to the needs of Ceylon. He would probably find it necessary to deal with very varied proficiency among his pupils, and they would come from various walks in life. would all pay fees; some could attend for a few hours of a few days in the week, some daily, some at night, and some in the early morning. But all that would not be done at once, or at first: it should grow gradually, I am assured, and I agree, there is a demand in Colombo for such classes,"
4898-100-2/1900
G 186 Wt 28016 D&S &
But they
6
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH——NOT TO
2
“I have the honour to state below my view on the sort of qualifications which would suit the work to be done here :-
**) The gentleman should not be more than 35 years, nor less than 25.
(b) He should be able to present evidence and credentials of a satisfactory training at a first-class School of Art in England, or France, or Germany. If his early training was English, then the Royal Academy School, or the Slade School, or one of the important branches of the South Kensington Department (e.g., the London Head "Quarters, or Manchester, or Birmingham, or Glasgow, or their equivalent) is to be preferred.
"(e) He should be able to give undoubted proofs of being a competent teacher, but his experience in that capacity need not have been gained only at a School of Art or institution of that kind. If he has served the artistic staff connected with one of the more important manufactures requiring good decorative design, and has had subordinate draughtsmen under him to train. his teaching capacity as well as his skill as an artist would probably be superior to the teacher from a second rate branch School of Art, and his success as a trainer of teachers in Ceylon more sure. I have known more than one case in England where such men have done excellent work as hewlwmasters of Schools of Art at the same time as they are following their other professional calling as designers in large works. Their knowledge is more practical and their skill much greater.
"A considerable period spent in studio life is not to be looked on as a recom. mendation. And a training in a public or private studio in England or on the Continent is not to be preferred to a properly certificated course at an unimportant public institution under Government or University control.
"(d) He should be able to show original work as draughtsman and painter; and a fair knowledge of modelling would be desirable. As a draughtsman his work nust include the figure, and not consist only of conventional decoration.
“(e) It should not be forgotten that the work to be done here will not necessarily be of the more or less stereotyped kind obtaining in western Europe. The work must be adapted to Eastern people and take due account of their traditional sentiment. It would be, in my opinion, disastrous to enforce too rigorously western ideas of Art
in Ceylon, A sympathetic, and therefore artistic, man is required.”
The exchange value of the rupec is about 1s. 4d. sterling.
The principal rules as to leave of absence and pension are as follows :
Subject to the necessities of the service, leave of absence on half salary may be granted to members of the permanent Government service, after a period of six years' resident service in the Colony, without any special grounds. It may be given before the oxpiration of that period in cases of serious indisposition, or of urgent private affairs. In the absence of special grounds, the leave in such case must not exceed one-sixth of the officer's resident service; on special grounds it may exceed that period by six months. In addition to the above, vacation leave on full pay may be granted, if no inconvenience or expense is caused thereby, not exceeding three months in any two years.
The present rule as to superannuation is that in the case of illhealth, an officer may be allowed to retire on a pension after ten full years' resident service ; otherwise he must have average attained the age of 55. For ten full years' resident service, fifteen-sixtieths of the annual salary of the retiring officer's fixed appointments for the three years prior to retire- ment may be awarded, to which one-sixtieth may be added for each additional year's service; but no addition will be made in respect any service beyond 35 years.
Colonial. OffICE,
of
February. 1990.