STAFF.

In 1882-83 under the Director of Public Instruction and the Educational Inspector Central Division, the education of the district was conducted by a local staff 239 strong. Of these one was a deputy educational inspector with general charge over all the schools of the district drawing a yearly pay of £180 (Rs. 1800), and the rest were masters and assistant masters with yearly salaries ranging from £4 16s. to £50 8s. (Rs. 48 - 504).

Of 176 the total number of Government schools, in 171 Marathi. only was taught, in one Hindustani, and in four English and Marathi. One of the four English schools was a high school teaching English, Marathi, and Sanskrit up to the matriculation standard. Of the 171 Marathi schools 167 were for boys and four were for girls.

COST.

Excluding superintendence charges, the total expenditure on account of these schools amounted to £4236 18s. (Rs. 42,369), of which £1387 4s. (Rs. 13,872) were paid by Government, £1407 10s. (Rs. 14,075) from local funds, and £1442 4s. (Rs. 14,422) from other funds.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

Besides these Government schools there were four primary schools inspected by the educational department. Of these two were opened by missionaries, and in 1882-83 were attended by fifty-seven scholars with an average attendance of thirty-seven. There is one special school for low-caste boys established by missionaries in Sholapur. In other towns and villages where low-caste boys show willingness to attend, a school accommodation is made for them in the verandas of the school houses. Their presence is not generally objected to if arrangements are made to prevent their Coming into personal contact with boys of other castes.

PROGRESS, 1855-1883

In 1855-56 there were only eleven Government schools, ten of them vernacular and one anglo-vernacular with 804 names on the rolls and an average attendance of 617 pupils. In 1865-66 the number of schools was increased to forty-five with 2377 names on the rolls and an average attendance of 1799 pupils. Forty of these schools were vernacular and five anglo-vernacular. In 1875-76 the number of schools rose to ninety-six, the names on the rolls to 3935, and the average attendance to 2850. In 1882-83 there were 176 schools with 7914 names on the rolls and an average attendance of 5708. Compared with 1855-56 the returns for 1882-83 give an increase in the number of schools from eleven to 176 and in the names on the rolls from 804 to 7914.

GIRLS SCHOOLS.

In 1869 the first girls school was opened in Barsi. In the next ten years the number of girls schools rose to three with 111 names on the rolls and an average attendance of sixty-nine. In 1882-83 the number of girls schools increased to four with 176 names and an average attendance to 105.

READERS AND WRITERS.

The 1881 census returns give for the chief races of the district the following proportion of persons able to read and write. Of 537,635 the total Hindu population, 7011 (males 6853, females 158) or 1.30 per cent below fifteen and 1303 (males 1292, females 11) or 0-24 per cent above fifteen were under instruction; 865 (males 849, females 16) or 016 per cent below fifteen and 16,978 (males 16,888, females 90) or 3.15 per cent above fifteen were instructed; 191,267 (males 95,260, females 96,007) or 3557 per cent below fifteen and 320,211 (males 150,903, females 169,308) or 59.55 per cent above fifteen were illiterate. Of 43,967, the total Musalman population 533 (males 520, females 13) or 1.21 per cent below fifteen and 90 (males 88, females 2) or 0.20 per cent above fifteen were under instruction; 69 (males 68, female 1) or 0.15 per cent below fifteen and 807 (males 795, females 12) or 1.83 per cent above fifteen were instructed; 15,721 (males 7774, females 7947) or 35.75 per cent below fifteen and 26,747 (males 13,031, females 13,716) or 6083 per cent above fifteen were illiterate. Of 625 Christians, 34 (males 21, females 13) or 5.44 per cent below fifteen and 7 (males 5, females 2) or 1.12 per cent above fifteen were under instruction; 9 (males 3, females 6) or 1.44 per cent below fifteen and 234 (males 172, females 62) or 37.44 per cent above fifteen were instructed; 148 (males 67, females 81) or 23.68 per cent below fifteen and 193 (males 102, females 91) or 30.88 per cent above fifteen were illiterate:

Sholapur Education, 1881.

Before 1855.56 no returns were prepared arranging the pupils according to race and religion. The following statement shows that of the two races the Hindus have the larger proportion of their boys and girls under instruction:

Pupils by Race. 1855-56 and 1882-83.

Of 7536, the total number of pupils in Government schools at the end of March 1883, 2344 or 31.1 per cent were Brahmans, 89 or 1.2 per cent were Kshatriyas; 11 or 0.2 per cent were Kayasths; 232 or 3.1 per cent were Jains; 664 or 8.7 per cent were traders; 1956 or 260 per cent were Kunbis; 1222 or 16.2 per cent were Lingayats; 221 or 2.9 per cent were artisans; 79 or 1.0 per cent were shopkeepers; 134 or 1.8 per cent were labourers; 58 or 0.8 per cent were low-castes; 36 or 05 were Others, and 490 or 6.5 Musalmans and Others. Of 176 the total number of girls enrolled in 1882-83 in the four girls schools, 170 or 96.5 per cent were Hindus and 6 or 3.5 per cent were Musalmans

SCHOOLS, 1855-1883.

The following tables prepared from special returns furnished by the educational department show in detail the number of schools and pupils with their cost to Government:

Sholapur School Returns, 1855-56,1865-66, and 1882-83.

Sholapur School Returns, 1855-66, 1865-66, and 1882-53—continued.

Sholapur School Returns, 1855-56, 1865-66, and 1882-83—continued.

TOWN SCHOOLS

A comparison of the present (1882-83) provision for teaching the town and the country population gives the following result: In the town of Sholapur there were in 1882-83 ten Government schools with 932 names and an average attendance of about 693. Of these one was a high school, six were Marathi Schools five for boys and one for girls, one a Hindustani school, one a police school, and one a jail school. The average yearly cost of each pupil in the high school was £4 18s. (Rs. 49); in the other schools the cost varied from 14s. to £1 4s. (Rs. 7-12). Since 1868, sixteen pupils have passed the university entrance examination from the Sholapur high school. [The details are: two in 1868; two in 1871; one in 1872; one in 1873; two in 1874; one in 1875; one in 1876; two in 1879; one in 1882; and three in 1883.] In addition to the Government schools there were, in 1882-83, forty private schools in the town of Sholapur with 1391 names and an average attendance of about 1029 pupils where Marathi is taught. The municipality of Sholapur has opened a Sanskrit school. In 1882-83 there were twenty-four pupils. The average yearly cost per pupil was 16s. (Rs. 8). To one of the Marathi boys schools in the city of Sholapur is attached a Gujarati class the expenses of which are defrayed by the Sholapur municipality. In 1882-83 there were twelve pupils learning Gujarati. In the town of Barsi there were, in 1882-83, four Government schools with 323 names and an average attendance of 256. The average yearly cost to each pupil was 16s. 3d. (Rs. 8⅛). In the town of Pandharpur there were five Government schools with 487 names and an average attendance of 343. The average yearly cost to each pupil was 16s. (Rs. 8). In the town of Karkam there was one Government school with eighty-sis; names and an average attendance of sixty-nine. The average yearly cost to each pupil was 11s. 9d, (Rs. 5 7/8). In the town of Vairag there was one Government school with eighty names and an average attendance of fifty-nine. The average yearly cost to each pupil was 11s. 9d. (Rs. 57/8). In the town of Karmala there was one Government school with 174 names and an average attendance of 117. The average yearly cost to each pupil was 11s. (Rs. 5½). In the town of Madha there was one Government school with 112 names and an average attendance of eighty-nine. The average yearly cost to each pupil was 13s. (Rs.6½). In the town of Sangola there were two schools with 146 names and an average attendance of 104. The average yearly cost to each pupil was 12s. 9d. (Rs. 6⅜).

VILLAGES SCHOOLS.

Exclusive of the eight towns of Sholapur, Barsi, Pandharpur, Karkam, Vairag, Karmala, Madha, and Sangola, the district of Sholapur was in 1882-83 provided with 154 Government schools or an average of one school for every four inhabited villages. The following statement shows the distribution of these schools by sub-divisions:

Sholapur Village Schools, 1882-83.

LIBRARIES.

Besides the Sholapur library established in 1857, there are libraries at Pandharpur and Barsi and reading-rooms at Karmala and Vairag. The Sholapur library was established by the leading inhabitants of the place. It is maintained by subscriptions and an annual grant of £30 (Rs. 300) by the municipality. There are 1450 books English and vernacular, and ten newspapers and two monthly magazines are subscribed. The yearly subscriptions amount to £15 (Rs. 150). The Pandharpur Library was established in 1874 by the sub-judge Rao Bahadur Lalshankar Umiashankar. It is maintained by monthly subscriptions and a municipal contribution of £20 (Rs. 200). It is provided with a hall by the municipality There are 1015 books English and vernacular, and nine newspapers are subscribed. The yearly subscriptions amount to £20 (Rs. 200) The Barsi library was established in 1863 by the sub-judg Rao Saheb Venkatrav Jivaji. It is maintained by monthly subscriptions and an annual municipal contribution of £6 (Ra. 60). There are 205 books in the library, and seven newspapers are subscribed. A fine hall has lately been built for the library from municipal funds at the suggestion of Rao Saheb Krishnarav Mule, the acting mamlatdar of Barsi. The yearly subscriptions amount to £6 (Rs. 60). The reading-room at Vairag was opened in 1864, and that at Karmala in 1881. These reading-rooms each subscribe to about seven newspapers. The number of books is small.

NEWSPAPERS.

Of the three weekly newspapers two are published at Sholapur, the Kalpa-taru or Wish Tree on Sundays and the Bhala or Spear on Thursdays; and one, the Pandhari-vritta or the News of Pandharpur, is published on Sundays at Pandharpur. They are all lithographed and in the Marathi language.