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PUBLIC

RECORD OFFICE

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C.O.885

7.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

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Adequacy of Scholarship.

6. The Ceylon Government Scholarship is worth £150 a year, tenable for 4 years or £200 a year tenable for 3 years. The Mauritius Government Scholarship is worth £800, and the passage money is £75 each way, that for Ceylon being £50. Nothing is paid to the Ceylon scholar for outfit, as is said to be done by the Straits Settlements Government. 7. The adequacy of the scholarship should be considered with reference to (1) initial expenses; (2) the normal regular expenses of each quarter.

8. If parents or others are expected to supplement Government aid, nothing more is to be said. But if the scholarship is intended to enable even a student who might be possessed of no private means whatever to enjoy the advantages af an English university education, the sholarship is certainly inadequate. To such a student initial expenses for outfit, books, &c, must no doubt prove embarrassing, as nothing can be saved on the passage money, as is said to be done by Mauritius students, and there is no outfit allowance. To meet this the system of advance quarterly payments is hardly desirable, For in the case of a student in such circumstances as we have in view the final tertu bill is likely to prove a still greater embarrassment and a temptation to leave England with liabilities undischarged.

9. The difficulty can best be met. I think, by an extra allowance made payable to the scholar' before he leaves Ceylon. It might be restricted to those who cań produce a certificate signed by, say, three gentlemen of recognised position in the community, stating that the circumstances of the scholar do not permit of his meeting the initial expenses of outfit, books, &c, without embarrassment.

10. The et of the adequacy of the quarterly payments remains. In the Secretary of State's view "£150 to £200 per annum may be sufficient, and rather more than sufficient, to defray the expenses of education and of living at Oxford and Cambridge during term time." Provided the student starts free of debt, £150 a year may be sufficient.in London, but is, I think, barely sufficient at Oxford ́or Cambridge to a student unaided by parents or others. Two students from Ceylon, and only two so far as I know, ran very freely into debɛ. But this was due to want of character, and the amplest allowances could not rescue such. But it is on the narrowest footing of economy that the scholarship at its present value can be made to suffice at Oxford or Cambridge, unless £200 a year is paid for three years instead of £150 for four years. The shorter period, however, is seldom compatible with the time required for the course of study taken up.

11. It is very worthy of note that the question of the inadequacy of the present scholarship grant has originated from the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies and not from this Department. The reasons he urges for an increase in the scholarship allowance are cogent and hardly admit of discussion, more especially in the paragraph that points out that not merely must the expenses of a course at the University be anticipated, but also the expenses of ordinary living during the vacation, apart from the University. And, roughly speaking, the necessary expenses of vacation life may be accepted as extending over half the year, so far as Oxford and Cambridge at any rate are concerned. In the interests of the scholars elect or to be elected I welcome the suggestion made that an increased allowance is desirable.

Benefits, &c., of Scholarship System.

12. The scholarship system has, I think, generally worked very well so far as Ceylon is concerned. The straitened circumstances of students might be relieved by adding somewhat to the scholarship, and this is the first time, I believe, that official representation has been made regarding university scholars in England on this head. Reference has been made in the despatch to the friendlessness of students. This is undoubtedly a source of danger to their moral welfare.

13. That the scholarship has proved beneficial to its holders does not admit of question. Former university scholars from Ceylon are at the present day occupying honoured positions in the Civil Service, the Bar, and the Medical Profession. In the cuse of some of them, their circumstances would have rendered the attainment of this result impossible but for the scholarship.

I am, &c.,

J. B. CULL, Director of Public Instruction.

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1 UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP.

(No. 517.)

SIR.

Office of Public Instruction, Colombo,

December 29. 1897.

Is returning the papers called for by your letter No. 463 of the 4th instant. I have the honour to annex for your information copy of a resolution passed at the last meeting of the Board of Education on the subject of the University Scholarship, and to state that the terms of my letter No. 372 of October 1st. 1897, virtually convey the expression of opinion of the Board of Education. That opinion summarised is :—

(1) That the scholarship allowance at present is adequate.

(2) That the system of fines and penalties suggested is unnecessary and

unacceptable.

(3) That in view of the increase suggested by the Secretary of State to the scholarship, a complete revision of the present system of scholarship allowance should be made.

(4) That in lieu of the present one scholarship for Classies and English, and for ~

Mathematics and English, and Science in alternate years, there should be awarded two scholarships each year, one for Classics and English, and the second for Mathematics, Science, and English. Upon this point the Board of Education was unanimous. The present system is rudimentary and incomplete. If the Colony is now in position to pay increased allowance to one scholar, it is obviously in position to meet the requirements of two scholarships, and this proposal of the Ser - of State. i... to increase the scholarship fund, the Board warmly we

A d available, as indicated by the tenor of the letter of the Secretary of state, the Board emphatically commends the consideration of the establishment of a second scholarship to be awarded yearly as supplementary of the present one scholarship.

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སྣན་ ་ ན་

2. The inclusion of modern languages, either French or German, might be entertained in the syllabus as optional subjects. In the London Matriculation) Examination one of these languages is required. The encouragement of their study is very desirable.

The Hon. the Colonial Secretary.

}

COPY OF RESOLUTION REFERRED TO,

I am, &c.,

J. B. CCLL,

Director.

Proposed by the Director of Public Instruction and secon led by the Lord Bishop of Colombo.

"That the Board is of opinion that there is no urgent necessity for the increase of the present allowance, but they do most strongly urge the desirability of a second scholarship and that the experience of the Board hitherto with regard to the university scholars does not make it necessary to adopt the precautions referred to by the Straits Government."

25588.

SIR,

MAURITIUS. No. 10.

GOVERNOR SIR C. BRUCE to Mr. CHAMBERLAIN. (Received November 14, 1898.)

No. 357.

Government House, Mauritius, October 12, 1898. WITH reference to the despatches noted in the margin on the subject of Colonial No. 104-May 31, 1898. despatch, No. 151 of the 19th August, 1897, was, on the No. 151-August 19, 1897, scholarships, I have the honour to inform you that your 28th September of that year, referred for the consideration of the Council of Education, and the attention of the council was drawn to your suggestion that a regulation be adopted in Mauritius similar to that in force in the Straits Settlements respecting scholarships.

• No. 1.

↑ Not printed: reminder on 5481;97.