'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part II. J G Lorimer. 1915' [‎2393] (910/1262)

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five Carmelite Fathers, of whom three were French, one was Irish, and
one was a Baghdadi; of two Marist brothers, both of whom were French;
and of seven lay teachers, all Baghdadis. In 1905 there were on the
rolls of the school 119 Chaldaeans, 33 Syrians, 23 Armenians, and 3
Greeks, all Turkish subjects; also 7 French, 4 Austrian, 2 Italian,
1 English, 1 Jewish and 3 Turkish boys, Roman Catholics : in all
196 boys. In 1904 there were three Muhammadan pupils, but the
Inspector of Public Institution objected to Muhammadan boys attending
a Christian school, and their parents were obliged to withdraw them.
The curriculum was the same as in French Lycees, with modifications
suitable to the East. The I' rench and Arabic languages were obligatory,
and instruction was given exclusively through the medium of these j but
English and Turkish were taught to the pupils of the three highest classes.
The hostel for boarders was under the management of the Carmelite
Fathers and was attached to their mission house; it was intended for the
sons of parents who do not live in Baghdad. In 1905 there were six
boarders, and the boarding fee was £T2 per mensem. The school '
received an annual subsidy from the French Government, and the
remainder of its revenue was derived from pupils'' fees and from the dona
tions of individuals; but only about one-fourth of the pupils paid full fees,
one-fourth being free and the remainder paying half fees. In 1904
the total income of the school was £4*25 and the expenditure £449;
the Fathers who taught in the school had no salaries.
The majority of the pupils on leaving school become clerks in mercantile
houses; and many of them, after some years, are able to start in business
on their own account. Some join departments of the Turkish administra
tion, such as Public Debt, Customs, etc.; some enter the Ottoman Bank;
some proceed to Bairut or Europe to study medicine; some embrace the
ecclesiasfcical state; others learn handicrafts. Evening classes are held
by the Carmelite Fathers for former pupils who wish to continue their
studies in history, French literature, English, physics, and mathema
tics; and sometimes as many as twenty youths take advantage of
these courses.
A school for Catholic girls was founded at Baghdad in 1877 ; it
belongs to the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Babylon, His Grace the girls.
Most Reverend John Drure, C.D.; and it is worked by Sisters of the
Presentation of the Third Order of St. Dominic (Tours). The staff
consisted in 1905 of six sisters, all French, and five lay teachers. The
school was attended by about 340 girls, all natives of Baghdad, and all
Roman Catholics with the exception of one Armenian and one Muham
madan. Reading and writing in Arabic, also the rudiments of arith
metic, grammar, and geography, were taught in the morning, and needle
work, knitting, etc., in the afternoon. French and music were extra
subjects; about 40 girls took the former and 30 the latter, and only
these paid any school fees. The school received a yearly grant from
the French Government, and expenditure not covered by this subsidy
was defrayed by the Archbishop of the Diocese. The Sisters, whose work
was done entirely gratis^ had daily work classes for former pupils, at
which the attendance was about 80 and needle-work, embroidery, etc.,
were taught.
Close to the Carmelite church was a large infant school, into which Infant
children of both sexes were received up to the age of seven or eight years, school.