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PYAL SCHOOLS IN MADRAS.
FEBRUARY, 1873.]
stand in cruel postures. Their legs are fettered. Hand and foot and neck are bent together and held fast by iron ties. A log fastened to a chain hangs from the waist, or is slowly dragged behind.
The Pyal school is, however, so important an item not only in education, but in the social and religious life of the people, that a somewhat detailed description of its actual work must be of great interest, and may prevent rash interference with a time-honoured institution. It will be well to consider first the payments made by the scholars. To show this clearly, I propose to exhibit them under two aspects those paid in a school for the well-to-do, and those in a school for the poor. We will suppose the son of a respectable good-caste writer to be sent for the first time to the nearest Pyal school, the teacher of which will almost certainly be a Brahman. A lucky day must first be chosen, and then the teacher comes to the new pupil's house together with all his scholars. Before the boy is handed over to the master, paja to Ganapatî or Ganes'a is performed by the family purohit, and then to Sarasvati, the goddess of learning, in the presence of the lad's father and male relations. Then presents are distributed to Brahmans, and fruits, sugar, &c., to everybody present. The school-master is placed sitting in a conspicuous part of the room, and then is presented with flowers, sandal (chandan), fruits, and a pair of cloths; one of which is twelve cubits long, and the other six cubits, the cost of both being about 1 rupees. The teacher then puts the cloths on, seats himself by the side of the proposed scholar, causes him to repeat a prayer to Ganes'a, asking for wisdom, and that his course of study may be fortunate and successful, and makes him repeat the whole of the alphabet three times. Next a flat vessel containing dry rice is brought in, and the teacher guides the finger of the pupil, so that he may write in the loose rice the names of the deity they serve, whether Vishnu or Siva. Then the ceremony concludes. All the school-boys are presented with beaten rice, Bengal gram and sugar mixed together, a handful each; the monitor or senior boy, who acts as the teacher's assistant, receiving also a few pice. Now the boy proceeds in procession to the school, where he is again made to repeat the alphabet three times. The procession then returns to his home, and they disperse for the day. With the next day commences the ordinary school career of the boy. It has also been agreed between the teacher and the father how much is to be paid monthly as the school fee. This sum varies with the means of the parent, but never exceeds eight annas a month.
Sometimes, however, it happens that the ceremony described above is postponed till the pupil has learned the alphabet. In that case no monthly fee is paid, but when the alphabet is fully known and the ceremony takes place, a more handsome present is given, which is supposed to include all school fees up to that date. It may be supposed that the latter method is most conducive to progress on the part of the pupil, but it is directly contrary
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to the precepts of the so-called S'astras. In both cases a fee is regularly paid after the date of the initiating ceremony. This, however, does not include all the gains of the master. He receives presents at certain festivals throughout the year, especially at Pongal and Dasera; and on every 15th day he receives from the father of each pupil a gift of betel and pân; every Saturday he receives half a pollam of lamp oil; and every morning on his return from breakfast each pupil must bring a bratti or cow-dung cake. Beyond all these, at every major feast throughout the year, the teacher receives from each house half a measure of rice, curry-stuff, &c., while at Dasera and Pongal he has in addition a money present. The Dasera is specially distinguished, seeing he receives the Pongal present doubled, and, in addition, some days before the feast, he raises a subscription among his pupils to pay the expense of Sarasvati and Ayda Paja, which festivals occur during the Dasera.
Besides all these periodical presents, there are others which are supposed to stimulate the teacher to make every effort for the early advancement of his pupils. Thus, when any new book or chapter is begun, he receives an anna or a fanam from the boy who makes this one more step in his instruction. This fee is sometimes rebelled against, but not successfully, for it is also the custom of the teacher to give a sort of holiday to the whole school on the occasion, and, if the present be not given, the holiday is withheld, and thus the lads bring pressure on each other to ensure the necessary gift. The ceremonial at the Dasera feast deserves particular attention. A month or two before the feast begins, a number of songs are committed to memory by the pupils, under the guidance of the teacher. By the arrival of the feast the series is learnt by all the boys, who have also been taught how to sing each song to a particular tune. In some schools the lads are also taught to dance what is called the Kolattam. This derives its name from the fact that the dancers move to the beating of sticks, of which each lad has two. They are about eighteen inches long, and are fancifully painted. The lads draw up in a double line, facing each other, and, with a stick in each hand, coinmence singing, keeping time by striking the sticks held by them. As they sing and strike they move about in a sort of dance. All this is taught them by the teacher in the ordinary school hours, and should be properly practised in time for the Dasers. On each day of the feast the lads dress themselves in their best, holding in their hands paper spears, daggers, painted staves, &c., and go in procession to those of the pupils' houses where the school teacher expects a suitable present, and also to the houses of the well-to-do friends and relations of the pupils. Arriving at a house, the pupils seat themselves in the hall or on the pyal and koradu, and sing the songs they have learnt, dancing also the Kolattam if they have been taught it. The head of the house is then expected to give the teacher a handsome
