Education in Dutch Ceylon 1658-1796 and the Impact of the Dutch Bystem up to about 1805

Abstract

CHAPTER I Education i n Ceylon before the a r r i v a l of the Dutch. P a t t e r n of education i n Ceylon before the advent of the Dutch - The indigenous and Portuguese systems and the effect of the Portuguese system of schools on the indigenous system. The a r r i v a l of Dutch Admirals and the conquest of the maritime provinces of Ceylon by the Dutch. A b r i e f o u t l i n e of Dutch educational p o l i c y at home and i n her colonies. CHAPTER I I Educational P o l i c i e s of the Dutch i n Holland and in the Colonies abroad other than Ceylon - A d e s c r i p t i o n of the break away of Protestant Holland from C a t h o l i c Spain. The establishment and f u r therance of the Dutch Reformed Church and the e r a d i c a t i o n of Roman Catho l i c i sm the main object of Dutch p o l i c y on education - The new Dutch state upheld the idea of Corpus Christianum. Membership of the Church and c i t i z e n s h i p of the state coincided. Both Church and state had cont r o l over education. The school regulations of the new state p r e s c r il that the c h i l d should be brought up i n the C a l v i n i s t F a i t h . It decreed that schoolmasters should be of the Protest-ant F a i t h . Books opposed to the C a l v i n i s t r e l i g i o n were banned. Educating the c h i l d i n the C a l v i n i st R e l i g i o n was made o b l i g a t o r y on parents. The p o l i c y followed i n the colonies was very s i m i l a r to t h i s . The p o l i c y i n Java and Formosa is discussed i n d e t a i l and an attempt i s made to show the s i m i l a r i t i e s and differences In Dutch educational p o l i c y at home and abroad. CHAPTER I I I The Adminstration of Education i n Ceylon - The clear and consistent p o l i c y followed by the Dutch i n t h e i r p o l i t i c a l sphere was r e f l e c t e d i n t h e i r a d m i n i s t r a t i o n of education i n Ceylon. A l l educ a t i o n a l establishments came under the Governor and Council of Ceylon. The scholarchal Commissions i n the three Commanderies of Colombo, Galle and Jaffna supervised and c o n t r o l l e d education i n each of these d i v i s i o n s. A d e t a i l e d d e s c r i p t i o n of the composition and functions of the Commissions - The Scholarchal Commission composed of the Dissave, a ll Contd. the l o c a l clergy and three or four c i v i l and m i l i t a r y o f f i c e r s . Functions ef the Commission not l i m i t e d to education, A d i s c u s s i o n of the annual v i s i t a t i o n and functions of school v i s i tors - A few e x t r a c t s from the reports of school v i s i t o r s are given to give an idea of the general supervision and c o n t r o l the Governor and Council and the Scholarchal Commissions had over educational e s t a b l i s h ments In Ceylon. CHAPTER IV School Education under the Dutch - Discussion of education i n the native parish schools, Dutch schools for European c h i l d r e n , charitable I n s t i t u t i o n s and slave schools . Native P a r i sh Schools - s t r u c t u r e of school b u i l d i n g s , appointment and functions of school Thombo Holder, School Thombo and the power the schoolmaster wielded as the keeper of the school R e g i s t e r . Curriculum, medium, methods of teaching, hours of work, holidays and number of scholars. Dutch Schools - Curriculum, medium, methods of teaching and number of scholars. C h a r i t a b l e I n s t i t u t i o n s - Orphan school and Poor House Training f or g i r l s i n k n i t t i n g , sewing and domestic s k i l l s , draining f o r boys in woodwork and carpentry. Slave Schools - Dutch system of higher education b u i l t on above >* foudation. CHAPTER V Organisation of Higher Education. - Seminaries were centres of higher l e a r n i n g . Progress and closrue of Jaffna seminary. Seminary at Colombo discussed i n d e t a i l - Aim, establishment, admission of students, curriculum, progress, b r i l l i a n t students, of s e l e c t i o n for higher studies i n European U n i v e r s i t i e s , great advantages derived from the higher course of studies i n the Seminaries. Discussion of great and far IT ciMhfc developments made by some of the Rectors and Dutch Governors who succeeded i n making the Seminary of great benefit to n a t i v e s. Contd. - vi - CHAPTER VI Vernacular Education and the Press - Propagation of r e l i g i o n through vernacular education. Work of P h i l i p Baldeus. Encouragement by Dutch a u t h o r i t i e s i n Ceylon, Batavia and Holland f o r the use of vernaculars i n education - seminaries established to t r a i n native preachers, proponents, c a t e c h i s t s , schoolmasters, i n t e r p r e t e r s and c l e r k s. Dutch predikants, proponents, c a t e c h i s t s and schoolmasters urged to l e a rn the vernaculars. Scriptures and other r e l i g i o u s works t r a n s l a t e d into Sinhalese and Tamil. Thw work of t r a n s l a t i o n expedited and obstacles to Dutch educational a c t i v i t i e s reduced by establishment of P r i n t i n g Press. Claims made by Dutch to i n v e n t i o n and development of P r i n t i n g Press. CHAPTER VII Education of G i r l s - Dutch a t t i t u d e to female education i n her colonies abroad other than i n Ceylon. Education of g i r ls i n native parish schools and orphanages examined. Dutch a t t i t u d e to education of g i r l s and education of boys considered with regard to aim of education, number of scholars, and type of education. CHAPTER V I I I Dutch P o l i c y on Education i n Ceylon. - Extent of continuation i n Ceylon of Dutch p o l i c y on education at Home and i n her c o l o n i e s . Positive and Negative motives for e s t a b l i s h i n g schools in Ceylon. P o s i t i v e - propagating of Dutch Reformed R e l i g i o n without i n c u r r i n g a f i n a n c i a l burden or l o s i n g the goodwill of indigenous popul a t i o n . Negative - Suppression of Roman C a t h o l i c i s m , Buddhism^Hinduism and Mohammedanism. Obstacles to progress of Dutch education p o l i c y - lack of schoolmasters, i n s u f f i c i e n c y of Predikants, proponents and C a t e c h i s t s , ignorance of t*e vernaculars, lack of school r e q u i s i t e s , i r r e g u l a r i t y of scholarchal meetings, d e t e r i o r a t i o n of school b u i l d i n g s and inaccessi b i l i t y of schools to n a t i v e s . Inducements to Natives - G i f t s of money, government posts, vernanular education and coneessions to orphans. P o s i t i v e aspects f a c i l i t a t e d establishment of v»ell-organised system of Dutch education. Negative aspects merely hindered e f f e c t i v e working Contd. - v i i - of Dutch system of education. CHAPTER IX Impact of Dutch Education - R e l i g i o n s , S o c i a l and C u l t u r a l Aspects. R e l i g i o u s - Dutch Reformed Church and Protestant C h r i s t i a n popu l a t i o n e s t a b l i s h e d . No appreciable decline i n Roman C a t h o l i c i sm due to u n a t t r a c t i v e Dutch forms of worship, s t r i c t control over Dutch Reformed Church members, repressive laws against Roman C a t h o l i c s and zeal of Roman C a t h o l i c p r i e s t s. Further decline i n Buddhism and Hinduism. Social and C u l t u r a l - on a r r i v a l of Portuguese society i n Ceylon medieval. Impact of Western c u l t u r e f e l t under Portuguese progressed under Dutch. Dutch language used i n a d m i n i s t r a t i o n and seminaries abd became language of p o l i t e soc i e t y . Enrichment of Sinhalese vocabulary by Dutch language. Use of vernaculars i n education l e d to development of vernaculars. Common schools l e d to reduced caste b a r r i e r s . Dutch domestic habits incorporated i n t o l o c a l society. Dutch system of education and the a r r i v a l of the B r i t i s h.