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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1879.
L
ennt
known. The effect of all this, says a writer in ing first to school, Re. 1; on commencing to the Bombay Quarterly Review (vol. VII. p. 170) learn to write, Re. 1 ; for the several Ekadashis is most mournful.
and festivals, Rs. 2; for festivals in the boy's The children look on the pantoji with fear and family, such as birth, thread ceremony, marhatred. To their imaginations he is more ghast- riage, &c., Rs. 5; school fee for 12 months, say ly than a demon, and their dreams are haunted 4 as, monthly (but it is often 6 as. and 8 as.), by the workings of the iron fingers at their Rs. 3; weekly holidays, mentioned above, at throats. They wish they could put an end to the rate of 5 as. per month, for 12 months, those they hate. One recommends that a pit Rs. 3-12 as. : making a total for the year of should be sunk beneath the spot where the Rs. 15-12 as. pantoji usually sits, that brambles be placed | The total cost of the boy's education, inclusive in it, and a carpet spread over it, and then to of the occasional presents if he remain at school his astonishment he would find what it is to suffer for five years, would thus be about Rs. 80, and cruelty! Another suggests, that while thus the whole of the emoluments of the pantoji, entrapped, the boards should be heaped on him, supposing him to have a school of 25 boys, and the young conspirators roar with laughter. would be Rs. 400 per annum. This is, bowever,
The cruelty of the pantoji has given rise to rather a favourable view of the condition of & amusing proverbs, and as they all do not admit Hinda teacher. Where the parents of the of publication we give here only a few :- pupils are generally well-to-do, the amount of
the presents will often far exceed even this; but, ओनामासी, पंतोजीने पील्ली भंग,
on the contrary, where they are poor, it will be पंतोजी मातला खोड्यांत घातला
very much less, and sometimes even the monthly खोडा फुटला पंतोजी सुटला.
fees are not paid, so that many masters do not शिरी घिरी अंबा चिरी
realize annually a half, or sometimes even a
third, of this amount. पंतोजीची बायको लोणचे भरी.
To propitiate the teacher the boys are glad to The education of the Hindu youth is much prepare his hukah, to bring fire to light it, to simpler and not so expensive as in Europe. prepare flowers for the worship of his houseThe master is allowed to exact fees from his hold gods, to sweep and cowdung the school scholars which, with the presents that custom floor and his lodging, to wash his pots; and has established as due to him from the parents boys even steal rice, salt, split peas, money, on particular occasions, form the source of his &c. from their houses, seeing that those who emoluments.
succeed in so doing escape punishment, and are The fee is sometimes rebelled against, for it praised for cleverness though the greatest dunces is the custom of the master to give & sort of in the school. Or the master filches their pocket holiday to the whole school on the occasion, money on the flimsiest pretexts. But if a boy and if the present be not given, the holiday is should fail to give him anything, he is cruelly withheld, and thus the lads bring pressure on flogged, --for the hymn he has committed to their parents to ensure the necessary gift. On memory at school says :the full and new moon, and the eighth day of each half month, a holiday is allowed. The
पंतोजीची याद राखी monthly rate of fees for each boy may be esti
शाळेस येतां खिसे भरी mated as follows:
खिसे भरतां सुख होई Rice. Cash.
वेताची छडी पळून जाई. A. A.P.
which means:-Remember the pantoji, and fill Purnima ... 8. 1 & 0 37
your pockets while going to school; for when Amavasya... s 1 0 3 Total...5 ans. filling your pockets how joyous you feel, for 2 Astamis... 1 s. 2 0 6
the cane is out of the way. The following are the presents which custom The master is cruel as we have seen, his has established as due to the master :-On com- conversation revolting, every wicked expression
. K. Raghunathji's Marathi Schools and School Masters, in Marathi. Bombay: Gunpat Krishnaji's Press. 1860.
