'File 8/8 Agency Administration Report 1922-1930' [‎221r] (446/474)

part of the propaganda employed was to say that religious
instruction was being displaced in favour of English- Actually
the number of forms in which English was taught had just been
reduced and the religious teachers themselves admitted that no
alteration had been made in their curriculum.
Neither the Eadd or Hifa’a schools took part in these
disturbances,and all the Shiah T s held aloof.
The Government girls schools are doing well,and altogether
some five to six hundred boys and girls are receiving free State
instruction.
All the boys at Beirut University were withdrawn at the
end of the school year. It will be recalled that they were sent
tnere without any selection on either mental or moral grounds,
nor had any undertaking been taken that they would work for the
Government on their return. They appear to have profited nothing
by their stay at Beirut,in fact a less suitable place could
scarcely have been chosen for boys from a primitive place like
Bahrain,and on their return they refused point blank to work
for the Government with^ one or two except ions, who mentioned
some exorbitant figure 4s the least remuneration they could
accept. They have learnt very little and show no sign of
gratitude for the large sums spent on them and all the State has
to show for an expenditure ol over half a lakh One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees is a. xew young men
with wind in the head.
The American mission maintained two schools. f ihe boys
school had a maximum enrolment of 76,and also neld night classes,
and the girls school a maximum enrolment of 107,though about half
this number would be the average attendance. The new Government
girl T s school has not affected the attendance at tne Mission’s
girls’ school,in spite of the fact that they have contributed
most of its pupils and a teacher. The American Mission deserve
every credit for the pioneer work they have done for female
educ4tion in Bahrain.
The Herd -ir Hakken's ardent evangelism caused some excitemeni
and the Political ^ent advised him to abate his zeal if he wishec