Asiatic Quarterly Review (Full Title: The Imperial and Asiatic Quarterly Review, and Oriental and Colonial Record): Volume XIII, No. 26 [‎457v] (39/238)

252 Is State-aided Education in any Shape
on making model Christians of the children entrusted to
their care as Christians, and would be able to ground their
appeals to their wealthy co-religionists at home on a more
intelligible basis. If, on the other hand, the plan of purely
secular education, now pursued of necessity in Government
schools, should happen to commend itself in principle to any
considerable number of persons, they would combine to take
over from the State the financial responsibility for these insti
tutions. Similarly, those who desire with Mr. Maconachie
to connect all teaching with a profession of theistic belief
would be free to enlist what support they could in favour of
institutions on that basis. Personally, I should expect and
welcome a great increase of activity on the part of the
Brahmo Somaj and kindred bodies, which aim at disen-
gaging the purer from the baser elements of Hinduism ;
and if the orthodox Hindus and Muhammadans were to be
goaded thereby into educational rivalry, so much the better.
The Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College, under the manage
ment of the Arya Somaj, shows what may be done in this
way. All that is really alive in native society would show
quite another sort of energy when relieved from the ener
vating influence of official patronage and control, and at the
same time from the fiscal oppression which is the obverse
of the same phenomenon ; while the Government, no longer
hampered by inconsistent pledges, and discredited by poor
performance after large promises, would be vastly stronger
for its proper work. It might then educate by example
more effectively than now by precept.
All this, however, is purely hypothetical ; what might
have been, what possibly might be even now, if home
public opinion were other than it is. Though I spoke at
the commencement of “ advocating ” retrenchment, my task
has really been one of diagnosis rather than of prescription.
do not need to be told that the physician who in these
days should prescribe a plain diet of voluntaryism for India
or any other over-governed community would have as little
chance of being met in consultation by any self-respecting