( 9 ) under private gentlemen or for continuing their studies with a view to gain a professional knowledge in Engineering, Law or Medicine. If we, accept this to be the aim of our training, we ought to impart instruction through the medium of English. To know the principles of Arithmetic through that medium has a Commercial value. A boy who learns Arithmetic from text books written in English has an advantage in securing a place, Take for instance two boys-one of whom is taught Arithmetic through the medium of English and the other through that of Bengali. The other things being equal, the first would as an Accountant, prove superior to thesecond, for he would not find any difficulty in knowing the meanings. of d, oz, E, s, d, ent, dutfit, &c. and would not take the figure “8” as four which the other might do. An Entrance Certificate would be at a discount and Merchants of Calcutta and other places might prefer lads who would be taught Arithmetic through the medium of English. But the true aim of instruction is culture which can be best secured by the development of a boy's faculties. Arithmetic, as it is at present, is taught mechani. cally, Most of the boys find difficulties in understanding its principles and, if Arithmetic be taught through the medium of Bengali, the boys will learn the "science of numbers" and they will not simply, as they do now learn to reckon.' The gain would thus be greater than any loss that might arise from the working out of the proposed scheme as far as Arithmetic is concerned. f Euclid and Algebra if taught through the medium of Bengali would also be learnt in a better manner. I do not know whether modern geometry would not be preferable to Euclid, but in this connection I cannot resist the temptation of quoting the following remarks from Mathew Arnold's French Eton (p. 379). "I must not forget to add that our geometry-teaching was in foreign eyes sufficiently condemned when it was said that we still used. Euclid. I am bound to say that the Germans and the Swiss entirely agree with the French on this point. Euclid, they all said, was quite out of date, and was a thoroughly unfit text-book to teach geometry from. I was, of course, astounded; and when I asked why Euclid was an unfit text-book to teach geometry from, I was told that Euclid's propositions were drawn out with a view to meet all possible cavils, and not with a view of developing geometrical ideas in the most lucid natural manner.' The proposal to teach history through the medium of Bengali does not commend itself to my judgment for the following reasons. In Bengali there are not many good historical works which may be used as text-books for Entrance candidates, Even if this defect be removed by the publication in the immediate future of excellent historical works there will still remain the objection that such historical works will compare
