Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎363r] (730/1028)

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Despite the strict prohibition on all forms of intoxicants, liquor is constantly
finding its way into the towns, and is usually distilled from dates. The Police
made several important captures, but so long as the demand exists there will be a
supply. The offenders are mostly all ‘Iraqis.
Public Works. —No large works were undertaken owing to the necessity for
economy, but some work was done on the Manama-Muharraq causeway, mainly as a
form of outdoor relief. The road was originally planned to be forty feet wide, but
as the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. pointed out that it would be completed in half the time and cost
nearly half as much if it was made twenty feet wide, without materially detracting
from its usefulness, the width has now been reduced to that figure.
Education. —The new Inspector of Education has been a great success, but
undoubtedly showed too great a tendency to model the schools on the Beirut
system, and introduced English into all except the very lowest forms. The Political
Agent drew attention to this and suggested that the schools should model themselves
on Baghdad and Basra, and not on Beirut, and, since the indigenous boy is not very
intelligent, urge that time should not be taken up with English until he had ob
tained a good grasp of his own language.
Effect had been given to his suggestions, but unfortunately in early February
the abuses that had been discovered by the Inspector determined the two head
masters of the Manama and Muharraq Sunni schools to provoke a crisis and get rid
of him at all costs. Without warning, they suddenly dismissed the boys after
making most objectionable and subversive speeches, and closed the schools. Next
day when summoned by Shaikh Abdulla, the Minister of Education, they did not
appear but sent a list of demands, which included requests that the Inspector should
have no authority to inspect schools, and that no changes should be made in the
staff’s pay, and that appointments should be permanent. They were informed
that no discussion'cOuld take place until they returned to work, but they replied that
until each demand had been granted they would remain on strike.
The other masters and the boys paraded the town, causing considerable excite
ment, but after the dismissal of the headmasters peace was restored. On the re
turn of the headmasters to Syria they immediately launched a venomous campaign
against the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. in the press, no doubt considering it better copy than abusing
Shaikh Abdulla who actually ordered their dismissal.
The masters had been emboldened in their attitude by the open
support of Yusuf Fakhru and Khan Bahadur Abdul Aziz Qusaibi, and part
of the propaganda employed was to say that religious instruction was being
displaced in favour of English. Actually the number of forms in which English
was taught had just been reduced and the religious teachers themselves admitted
that no alteration had been made in their curriculum.
Neither the Hadd or Rifa’a schools took part in these disturbances, and all
the Shiah’s held aloof.
The Government girls schools are doing well, and altogether some five to six
hundred boys and girls are receiving free State instruction.
All the boys at Beirut University were withdrawn at the end of the school year.
It will be recalled that they were sent there without any selection on either mental
or moral grounds, nor had any undertaking been taken that they would work for
the Government on their return. They appear to have profited nothing by their
stay at Beirut, in fact a less suitable place could scarcely have been chosen for boys
from a primitive place like Bahrain, and on their return they refused point blank to
work for the Government with one or two exceptions, who mentioned some ex
orbitant figure as the least remuneration they could accept. They have learnt
very little and show no sign of gratitude for the large sums spent on them and all
the State has to show for an expenditure of over half a lakh One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees is a few young men
with wind in the head.
The American mission maintained two schools. The boys school had a maxi
mum enrolment of 76, and also held night classes, and the girls school a maximum
enrolment of 107, though about half this number would be the average attendance.
The new Government girls’ school has not affected the attendance at the Mission’s
girls’ school, m spite of the fact that they have contributed most of its pupils and