( 27 ) medium of English they begin to acquire the habit of thinking in English which becomes useful to them when they go through a higher course in Mathematics in Colleges where the subject is taught in English. It may also be contended that if they study Elementary Mathematics in High schools through the medium of their own vernacular they will for some time at least, meet with technical and other difficulties in pursuing their College Course in higher Mathematics, and Professors will have to undergo greater labour in teaching them. Further, as in Government offices, some of the Courts of Justice, Banks and other Counting Houses, Railway and Telegraph offices, Merchants' offices, and in many other private Firms and Factories, current business is done in English, such of the students as finish their education on passing the Entrance Examination, and their number is large, will meet with difficulties in entering the world if they learn elementary mathematics through the medium of their own vernacular. It is chiefly owing to these reasons and also on account of the Entrance Examinatior, of the Calcutta University in Mathematics, History and Geography not being conducted through the medium of the several vernaculars that the experiment lately made by the Education Department of constituting High English Schools on a vernacular basis, has not proved so successful as was ardently hoped for by certain officers of the Department. 3. Though I know that the measure proposed is not likely to be a popular one yet considering the needs of the Bengali and other vernacular languages and at the same time the present requirements of the country which cannot be ignored, I am for adopting a moderate course, viz, to move the University to examine the candidates appearing at the Entrance Examination in their own vernacular, only in such subjects as History, Geography and Elementary science. I should for the present leave the examination in elementary mathematics to be conducted as hitherto in English. 4. The second motion of the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad, viz. that it is. desirable that for the F. A. and B. A. Examinations of the Calcutta University, vernacular text-books be prescribed in addition to those in the classical languages, has my unqualified approval. I am, however, for shortening a little the Sanskrit, Arabic or Persian course now prescribed for the F. A. and B.A. Examinations, in view of the increased pressure which students will have to bear in going through a vernacular in addition to the classical course. It will not answer the purpose of helping to enrich the vernacular languages and turning out from our students good vernacular scholars, simply by making composition in and translation into the vernaculars a part of the required text. Yours faithfully, BRAHMA MoHAN MALLIk.
