Phoenix School and Mahatma Gandhi

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Senior Gandhian Scholar

Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09404955338, 09415777229

E-mail- [e-mail];

[e-mail]

Mailing Address- C- 29, Swaraj Nagar, Panki, Kanpur- 208020, Uttar Pradesh, India

 

 

Phoenix School and Mahatma Gandhi 

 

We hinted last week that we might write [more] about this school. We are now in a position to report as under:

Boarding: Those in Phoenix who live with their families can take in up to eight boarders. It is intended that the boys who may be accepted as boarders will be treated as one’s own children. This practice prevailed in India in olden days, and it should be revived as far as possible. There is only one condition for a boy’s admission; namely, he should be in sound health. Indians of any caste or community will be admitted. No distinctions will be made in such matters as food, etc. The boys will get the same food as the inmates, with certain modifications. It will be, in effect, as under: Half a bottle of milk, two ounces of ghee, flour, mealier meal, pulse, rice, fresh fruit, green vegetables, sugar bread, nuts (mainly groundnut). The diet will be provided regularly, spread over not less than three and not more than four meals as it may suit the boys which of these items should be included in which meal will be decided in the light of our customary practice or in any other way that may be found to be best from experience. The diet does not include tea, coffee or cocoa. It is our view, based on our knowledge and experience, that things such as tea are harmful even to adults, and much more so to children. Some medical men think that the introduction of tea, etc., has led to an increase in the incidence of ill-health. Moreover, tea, coffee and cocoa are produced through the labour of men who work more or less in conditions of slavery. In Natal, for instance, it is the indentured labourers who work on tea and coffee plantations. Cocoa is produced in the Congo, where indentured Kaffirs are made to work beyond all limits of endurance. We think that slave labour is used even in the production of sugar. Though it is not possible to look too deeply into these matters, we are firmly of the view that these three things should be used as sparingly as possible. Furthermore, if we claim to be fired with the spirit of swadeshi in Indian, we had better avoid these three things as far as possible. There is no need to go into these arguments, especially those against tea, in this place. Suffice it to say that boys do not need these things.

Boarding Charges: We find that boarding charges come to not less than a guinea a month. The figure includes the barber’s service charges. The provisions themselves amount to £1 [per head]. A shilling is added to this by way of washing charges. No separate charges for a barber’s services are included since this work is mostly done by the inmates of Phoenix themselves and does not entail any expenditure.

Lodging: It will not be possible to provide lodging arrangements similar to the boarding tariff outlined above. There are not enough buildings to provide the requisite accommodation, nor can the boys be conveniently lodged with families. It will therefore be necessary to build a dormitory for them. We do not see any possibility of our being able to provide lodging for them before such a dormitory is built. To show that there will be no differential treatment as between the boys who may be admitted and the boys of the families which will provide board to them, it is intended that the two classes of boys will sleep in the same room. It is thus necessary to put up a building which will provide sleeping accommodation to about 20 boys. The construction of such a building and of a reservoir to provide bathing facilities for the boys is estimated to cost £200. These arrangements for boys can materialize if those who want to have their boys admitted agree to raise this sum. The estimates have been prepared in consultation with the architect, Mr. Kallenbach, and an Indian carpenter. The ownership of the building will be vested in those who donate the money, provided they will have no rights so long as the school functions. If it ceases to functions, the donors may, if they choose, carry away the building. The necessary amount may either be provided by the parents who want to send their boys, or may be raised through donations from others. Those who donate money will be serving a public cause. The inmates of Phoenix are so busy these days that they are in no position to undertake the necessary effort to raise a fund.

Dress: It is more convenient to prescribe a uniform dress for the boys. The following will be the requirements of dress according to us: £ s. d. 1 Hair-brush 1 6 3 Half-length breeches 6 0 3 Shirts 6 0 4 Shorts 4 0 2 Pairs of sandals or shoes 6 0 1 Hat 2 0 2 Night dresses 4 0 2 Towels 2 0 2 Napkins 1 0 4 Pocket handkerchiefs 1 0 1 13 6 The cap will be of the model customary in one’s community. The hat mentioned above is merely for use when working in the sun. Whether such a dress should be provided for the boys or not will depend on their parents. If any parents do not want to incur this expenditure or are not anxious to teach the boys such simplicity, they may send with the boys materials for the items indicated above in a small bag or packet. If they ask us, we suggest that they send nothing with the boys, but give us a sum of £1.13.6, with permission to have the required garments made and given them to the boys to wear. The requirements of dress indicated above are for one year.

Beds: We do not intend to provide Indian-style beds to sleep on, but think of using planks of the kind in use in jails. They appear to be more conducive to one’s well-being. We think it is healthier for the boys to be made to sleep on blankets than to be allowed cotton mattresses. But we shall make necessary alterations in this regard as desired by parents. According to us, the boys will need the following things: 3 Blankets 10 s 1 Pillow 1 s 4 Bed sheets 4 s 2 Pillow-covers 1 s 16 s Parents may themselves send these materials; otherwise we shall be prepared to buy them. Leaving the expenditure on dress and blankets, etc., to the decision of the parents, we calculate that the other expenditure to be borne by them will amount to one guinea per month. It is proposed to charge admission fee at the rate of £1 for each boy. The sum is intended to be spent on buying the required books for him. It is not that books worth that amount will be necessarily bought. But the intention is to keep some provision for the miscellaneous expenditure on the boys that the school may find it necessary to incur. Books required for advanced boys will have to be provided by the parents.

Teachers: It will be observed from the account given above that we do not propose to charge any monthly fee. We are in a position to follow this course only because the teachers maintain themselves by their earnings from the [International Printing] Press. With the permission of the press, every teacher gives his services at certain hours. It is also planned to have a School Board which will consider methods of teaching, etc. Among the teachers will be Purshottamdas Desai (Principal), Mr. West, Mr. Cordes, Miss West and others.

Curriculum: The main object of this school is to strengthen the pupils’ character. It is said that real education consists in teaching the pupil the art of learning. In other words, a desire for knowledge should grow in him. Knowledge, however, is of many kinds. There is some knowledge which is harmful. If, therefore, the boys’ character is not formed well, they will acquire the wrong kind of knowledge. Because of lack of proper planning in education, we observe that some persons grow to be atheists and some, though highly educated, fall a prey to vices. It is therefore the main object of this school to assist in building the moral character of boys. We can see this aim realized in Mr. Hassan Mia and Mr. Ravikrishna. We can form some idea of what Mr. Hassan Mia has been doing in England. Mr. Ravikrishna is in jail today for the sake of the country. Both these have gone out from the school at Phoenix. Boys will be taught their own language that is Gujarati or Hindi and, if possible, Tamil, as also English, arithmetic, history, geography, botany and zoology. Advanced pupils will also be taught algebra and geometry. It is expected that they can be brought up to the matriculation level. For purposes of religious instruction, parents will be allowed to send any religious teacher of their choice. Hindu boys will be taught the fundamentals of the Hindu religion in any manner that may be desired by their parents. Indian Christians will be taught the elements of the Christian religion by Mr. West and Mr. Cordes and the basis of the teachings of Theosophy. For boys of the Muslim faith, we want to arrange for a Moulvi, if possible. They will be permitted to go to Durban on Fridays. We believe that the education of any people is fruitless without religious instruction. Therefore, it is the duty of parents with a religious bent of mind to provide their children with both religious and secular education. We shall find on reflection that what we call secular education is also for strengthening the religious instinct. We think education imparted without any such aim is often harmful. Boys will be taught the history of ancient and modern India so as to inculcate in them loves of India and help them grow patriotic. Apart from this, there is no other information to be given. We hope that those who want to send their boys will do so indeed. As for the difficulty about the building, it is the duty of the parents to and a statement of accounts will be published regularly.

 

Reference:

Indian Opinion, 9-1-1909