The views about girls’ education in Travancore expressed by the British Resident Mr R.C.C.Curr in his speech at the Victoria Jubilee Town Hall the day before yesterday are worthy of being brought to the attention of the people of this country. It was while giving away prizes to the winners of the Royal English Girls’ School that he made the speech. He observed that the aforementioned school and the English college have been gaining in growth and popularity day after day. The Resident further said that in response to complaints made by the lady principals of the school in previous years regarding new children taking admission to the school being forced to go back for want of space to accommodate them in the school building, the government has given directions to enlarge the school building. While complimenting the school principals for bringing the matter to the attention of the government, he also encouraged them to keep such vigil with respect to the school’s development in due course of time. Indeed, these words were congratulatory as far as the school was concerned. The lady principal was overjoyed at the increasing number of her students passing university examinations. But she was quick to add that the newly introduced fee for high school classes effective from the current year was debilitating and that it was due to their inability to pay the fees that many girl students had to leave school.

When English education for girl students, which is still in its infancy, was first introduced, we had stated that the fee system for such education would prove to be an impediment, and on account of which the people of this land could be reluctant to send their daughters for education. The report of the lady principal has strengthened our misgivings. A suggestion put before the Travancore government by the Resident to overcome this hurdle is indeed praiseworthy. It is deplorable that students are forced to leave schools owing to their inability to pay school fees. In order to prevent this, the Resident suggested that it would be rational for the government of Travancore to announce some scholarships. But at the same time, the Resident also did not forget to enlighten the people about the matter concerned. He is of the opinion that those who cannot afford to pay at least half a rupee [0.50 paisa] as fees for their wards will be few and far between. He further opined that the people of this country waste a lot of money on meaningless customs, rituals, and festivals in the name of religion and that the people should desist from such wasteful expenditure and spend the money thus saved for increasing the knowledge of their children. The reality of what the Resident said is not far for anybody to seek. Although this is true, more than the prescribed fees, what is worrisome to the people is their being made to spend about 50 rupees on purchasing new books for school. Since educationists prescribe new and expensive textbooks from time to time, education has become unaffordable. We believe that the authorities concerned will pay attention to this aspect of education. The Resident stressed the importance of educating girl students about maintaining proper hygiene. To further emphasise the importance of hygiene, the Madam Resident has even sent a special gift to a student who demonstrated much ability in absorbing lessons about maintaining proper hygiene.

The Resident has also lauded the school for its recently introduced Veena classes whereby girl students are imparted practice on playing the Indian stringed musical instrument of Veena. While praising the presentation of fusion music in which western musical instruments like fiddle and piano and the eastern instrument of Veena were harmoniously employed, he took special care to impress upon the audience the greatness of music and expressed the hope that like this, the West and the East would be harmoniously united. The Resident further made his point that if the young women, who would soon come out of the aforementioned school after having acquired proper education, succeed in making their family life as mothers also harmonious, it would certainly be felicitous. We are delighted to state that the audience took the encouraging words of the Resident to their heart.