z:\ ambedkar\vol-02\vol2-06.indd MK SJ+YS 21-9-2013/YS-8-11-2013 421
EDUCATION OF DEPRESSED CLASSES 421
secondary education and last in order of primary education. The Mahomedans
who are third in order of population are second in order of college education,
second in order of secondary education and second in order of primary
education; while the “Advanced Hindus” who occupy the fourth place in
order of population stand first in order of college education, first in order
of secondary education and first in order of primary education. From this
we can safely say that in this respect there has been no improvement over
the situation as it stood in 1882 relatively speaking.
- The above statement which is based upon the Report of the Director
of Public Instruction, Bombay Presidency for the year 1923-24 merely reveals
the disparity that exists in the educational advancement of the different
communities. But the disparity in the level of education among the different
communities would be a very small matter if it be not very great. We can
form no important conclusion unless we know the degree of disparity. To make
the position clear from this point of view the following table is presented :
| Col1 | TABLE | Col3 | Col4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classes of Population | Primary Education, Students per 1,000 of the population of the class | Secondary Education, Students per 100,000 of the population | College Education, Students per 200,000 of the population |
| Advanced Hindus .. .. Mahomedans .. .. Intemediate class .. .. Backward class .. .. | 119 92 38 18 | 3,000 500 140 14 | 1,000 52 14 Nil (or nearly one if at all). |
- The above figures give the lengths as it were by which each community
is a head of the rests in the matter of primary, secondary and collegiate
education. They reveal a range of disparity between the different communities
in this Presidency which shows that the position of some of the communities
in the matter of education is most shocking. From the statistics as given above
two facts stand out to be indisputable. (1) That the state of education of the
Backward classes in this Presidency is deplorable. In the matter of population
they occupy a place as high as second. But in the matter of Education they
occupy a place which is not only last but which also is the least; (2) That the
Mahomedans of the Presidency have made enormous strides in education; so
much so that within the short span of 30 years they have not only stolen a
march over other communities such as the Intermediate and the Backward
class, but have also come close to the Brahmins and allied castes.
- What can this be due to ? To the policy of unequal treatment
adopted by the Government must again be our reply to this ever present
question. How unequal was the treatment of the two classes will be evident