Coll 28/80 ‘Persia. Education; Establishment of a language academy.’ [‎15r] (29/40)

3
vigorously, while further limitations are being enforced upon the non-Persian
high schools, which had been left more or less unaffected previously.
1. After the order of the Education Department to the American boys’
school that all pupils not having certificates from a Persian elementary school
could not remain in that school (vide Tabriz Diary No. 1 for 1934), the American
girls’ school received a similar order in the first week .of February and at once
dismissed all the Armenian and Assyrian (a few) girls, thirty-two girls in all.
Only a very few of these girls can pass the Persian examinations required, so that
a few have asked to be allowed to enter a Persian girls’ school. But the great
majority are uncertain what to do. Only Persian girls now remain in this
American girls’ school.
The majority of the boys who were dismissed from the American boys’ school
are frequenting the Persian “ Najat ” elementary scheol with a view to passing
the needed examinations, receiving certificates, and re-entering the American
school at the beginning of the next scholastic year (in September). The rest have
abandoned all idea of completing their education.
2. The Russian school was definitely informed that they must not take
Persian pupils. To this the Russians finally agreed, and transferred their school
to the old consulate-general building (as already reported). Since then the
Director of Education occasionally sends someone or goes himself to find out
whether they really have no more Persian pupils.
The Russian school is now reduced to 43 pupils, and as each class was
reduced to 4 — 6—8 pupils, and the 2 upper classes to 2 pupils each only, they
have now reduced their teachers to 8 . Under these circumstances, it is not yet
certain whether the Russians will open their school at all next year.
3. The question of the Armenian mixed boys’ and girls’ schools is by no
means settled yet.
After the refusal of the local boards to accept the Government educational
plan in its entirety (as already reported), rumours reached here from Tehran that
the Ministry of Education had consented to allow these schools to have three
lessons in Persian and three in Armenian a day.
But on the 17th February the Education Department wrote very curtly to
to the Tabriz Armenian schools (and this time to the Central School also, which
had so far escaped attention) to say that £C the Armenian school of Tehran had
already accepted the plan in its entirety and that they had to do the same. In
the case of further refusals,” the letter added, ” they would be obliged to take
the necessary repressive measures, as instructed by the Ministry. , £C t
Upon receipt of this ultimatum the boards of the three schools and the
Assembly of the Representatives of the Azerbaijan Diocese” held a joint
meeting on the 18th; and, in view of the fact that the Tehran school had accepted
the plan, and that the schools at Resht, &c., were forced to close following their
refusals the meeting decided, after much discussion and despite a sti ong
opposition element, to choose the lesser evil and accept the plan
On the 20th February two members of each of the boards of the three schools
called upon the Director of Education here and gave written undertakings to
adopt the plan in their respective schools in the form of the engagement given by
the Tehran school, viz. :—
“We undertake to adopt the Government educational plan in our
schools but would ask to be permitted to have a few extra lessons besides
those allowed to replace lessons in the £ Koran ’ and k Shariat Law, m order
to teach the Armenian language and religion.
It was hoped that, as this formula of the undertaking was prepared by the
Ministry of Education, they will at least allow a few lessons per week for the
Arm Ue a krSs a ;^os?dI introduce the plan in September, but this does
n0t Onfhe ^TthFebruMy ?hf inspector of the Education Department visited the
schools asked why Armenian text-books and maps were still in evidence, and
ordered their immediate introduction of the plan under pain of closure at once.
As however, the Armenian Deputy telegraphed that the director should e
informed that the new curriculum for the Armenian schools was being ^nt down
from Tehran—and that this was to be applied forty days aftei leieipt the
director finally agreed to let things stand till Novruz.