They tried to
create awareness among women through different mediums of tracts and
newspapers. They advanced the argument that without educated mothers; the Sikhs
would continue to be mired in superstition, ignorance and immoral
practices.[1]Education among women has become essential for development and
their role as nation builders. They felt that it was important for both women
and men to be educated for their glorious heritage. The leaders of the Singh
Sabha, Chief Khalsa Diwan and the Sikh activists went along way in bringing
about the awareness in their community about women education. They were
unanimous against the social taboos that had reduced the status of women. They
felt that if women remain immersed in ignorance, there can be no moral, social
and intellectual progress in the society. Social reformers believed that if a
community wanted healthy, honest and selfless members, the surest and easiest
way was to have a literate woman in the home. The hand, head and heart of
Punjabi girls and women should be evenly and harmoniously cultivated, so that
they may discharge with grace and efficiency the duties of whatever stations of
life they belong to, as wives or mothers or responsible members of society.[2]
An important period in the history of the Sikh educational movement began with
the foundation of the Chief Khalsa Diwan's Sikh Educational Conference. The
motto of the Sikh Educational Conference was to provide education to every Sikh
boy and girl without any discrimination. It has worked for the education of not
only boys but also girls, for whom a large number of educational institutions
have been established. It can be said that one of the objectives of the Sikh
Educational Conference was to promote female education among the Sikhs.[3]
Working towards its objective, the conference made major efforts for the
expansion of women's education in the state. In the first session of the
conference held at Gujranwala in April 1908, Sardar Shivdev Singh Oberoi
emphasized on ‘education of Sikh women’. The annual sessions
of the Sikh Educational Conference have been an occasion of great public
interest and enthusiasm. People from all walks of life participated in its
proceedings. It became tradition that as the venue of the conference shifted
from year to year, a Sikh education institution whether for boys or girls was
usually its gift to the town where it was held.[4] The conference soon became a
source of inspiration for the Sikhs. Schools spread rapidly throughout Punjab.
It is a fact that before the start of Sikh Educational Conference in 1908 there
were only 07 Khalsa schools and with the efforts of Sikh Educational Conference
this number reached 340 in 1947. Apart from this, many handicapped schools,
schools for orphans, blind and handicapped were also opened and over two dozen
libraries and literary associations also came up.[5] At the conference stages
intellectuals and activists appealed the masses to come forward for the cause
of women education. So many protagonists came and brought with themselves
Sikh kanya pathshalas, sometimes with boarding houses. Sardar
Shivdev Singh, Honorary Secretary of Educational Committee founded Khalsa Kanya Middle Pathshala at
Sialkot in 1907 which he ran 25 years and borne the whole expenditure.[6]
Another activist Kaur Singh started Guru Nanak Kanya Pathshala with
64 girls on roll at Sukho, Rawalpindi on November 16, 1910. It was served by
his wife and two other women. They provided knowledge of handicrafts to girls
along with basic instructions.[7] There was a Sikh kanya school
in Rawalpindi. It had a boarding house for the far lived girls. The school also
provided free education and accommodation for girls. For first time free
books and slates were given to the girls. For monthly meal five rupees were
charged.[8] On the same lines a Sikh kanya pathshala (1912) was
started at Qadian. It had boarding house for outsider girls. Needle work was
also taught.[9] The organizers of the Education
Conference were sometimes publicly requested by the people of the particular
area to open schools for girls. As a result Sikh Kanya Pathshala was opened at
Doshanj Kalan, district Jalandhar. There were eight to ten schools for boys in
the area, but not a single school for girls. The protagonists of girls’
education Sardar Shivdev Singh and Kaur Singh, therefore, took debt for the
building of the pathshala. The Sikhs living outside the country
also contributed for the building. Maharaja Patiala and a contractor Sher Singh
of Sandwan also contributed rupees 1000 each. Government grant of rupees 400
per annum was also attached to it. A local committee ran the institution
successfully. Later on it started boarding house for the girls coming from
faraway places. The institution became famous under the management and
secretary ship of Bhai Kartar Singh who collected money from the countries like
Burma. He left the government job and made a jatha of ladies
including his family members for the cause.[10] t remained a famous institution
of the doaba. Sardar Narayan Singh served the school as Incharge
Manager and Sabhdra Devi as Head Mistress. The visit of Sardar Kartar Singh
made the people of Burma remained in touch with its affairs for many years. In
1917, a person Sardar Kundan Singh sent rupee 1500 for the institution as
financial aid.[11] The district Inspector Jalandhar Hemraj visited the pathshala on
October 13, 1916. He went to conduct an examination. He admired that registers
of the school were well organized. The building of Doshanj Kalan school was
located at good place and airy. He also praised the boarding house for the
girls and noticed that besides education, the girls were taught needle work,
cooking and well organized in preparing and serving langar managed
that turn by turn, 13 October, 1916.[12] Many visitors came to the school and
admired its building and arrangements. Once Sohan Singh, a sub-overseer from
Burma visited the school on June 23, 1917.He found its building and boarding
airy and well maintained and appreciated the service of Bhai Kartar Singh who
was managing the school. He also praised the intelligence and good nature of
the Headmistress and noticed that she treated the girls as her daughters. The
girls were provided not only with good education but also taught stitching and
cooking.
The Sikh
Educational Conference provided great encouragement for the expansion of
educational institutions for women. The girls being educated, were bound to
help in social upliftment. Education had begun to break down the seclusion nor
the Pardah. Women began to attend Educational Conference and more
significantly, took an active part like donating ornaments to help in the
spread of education. By the year 1913, there were one Sikh Kanya Mahavidyla
Ferozepur, 7 kanya Middle Schools and 60 kanya Primary
schools for women.[13]
Table - 1
A list of Sikh
educational institutions working under the management of Educational Committee
of Chief KhalsaDiwan.[14]
|
Education
Level
|
School for
Boys
|
School for
Girls
|
|
Primary
School
|
50
|
60
|
|
Middle School
|
16
|
07
|
|
High School
|
08
|
01
|
Source:
Educational Committees of Chief KhalsaDiwan
The figure
shows that the Sikhs remained forward in the field of primary education of
girls than boys for whom 60 schools were established. The figure also shows
that they took more interest to impart elementary education to women than
higher. Primary education for girls was one of the theoretical questions of the
time and was clearly needed. The Sikh Educational Conference set a goal that
every village should have at least one primary school. Such a goal could not be
easily achieved. They realized the importance of Sikh religion and religious
training in the life of a girl especially at the early stage. To open kanya
pathshalas in every town and village of the province was their ideal.
There were a number of such customs and rituals that created hindrance in the
progress of girls' education. Among these were the custom of early marriages,
housekeeping and duties, and the practice of veiling. Due to social and
religious conservatism, there was apathy of the people towards the education of
girls.[15] There was also a fear among the people that the spread of education
among women would replace the existing domestic squalor, dissatisfaction with
the existing limited conditions of life, unnecessary freedom of thought and
extravagance in life. Another fear was that educated girls might be unfit for
domestic life, that they might be alienated from the tasks that are the
dignity and pride of orthodox Punjabi women.[16] The need to prepare suitable
curriculum for girl students, lack of qualified female teachers and lack of
religious education was felt. The government and socio-religious reform bodies
had been working enthusiastically in this direction to make the girls'
education popular. It was noted in the Education Report of 1905-06 that the old
prejudices against educating women were breaking down, and urban middle class
Punjabis were becoming more eager to send their daughters to schools, to keep
them there to a later stage, to pay fees for their education, even to send them
to boardinghouses. The tide had begun to turn and people had begun to show
interest for educating girls by lending their houses rent-free and offering
prizes and sweet meats at annual functions.[17] Boarding girls schools became
popular. In the past, parents had shown unnatural reluctance to send their
girls away to school. But a great change occurred now that it became difficult
to provide girls hostels to meet the ever increasing demand.[18] Reformers of
this period emphasized the diversity of the curriculum for girls and said that
it should not be assumed that the instruction suitable for boys should be good
for Punjabi girls. They recommended that the syllabus for girls' primary school
should be simpler than that for boys. The Sikh reformers were extra careful in
preparing the syllabi for girls at the primary levels. They kept in mind the
utility of it for the future of women. It was felt by the scholars that the
curriculum should be designed in such a way as to enable the students to follow
the duties and responsibilities of domestic and civic life. All faculties of
scholars should be developed and trained to the maximum so that they feel that
knowledge is a pleasure and not a chore.[19] They stressed upon religious
education for women to transmit religious and moral values to the children of
the community. They also advocated that the skills of home science like
cooking, nursing and tailoring should also be taught to women. In addition to
basic literacy, the girls should learn sewing, embroidery, cooking, music, poetry,
games, arithmetic, hygiene and literature of Sikh religion. To train them in
these areas, separate classes were arranged in middle and high schools. The
people were becoming conscious to educate their daughters for the very reason
to find good matches for them. Women themselves wanted to get education for
many reasons, as child widows they wanted self honor and dignity. Women were
interested in education because they loved economic and social freedom and
there were some who really interested in gaining knowledge.[20] A report on the
progress of education in the Punjab at the close of the quinquennium 1921-22
records the most significant increase in the number of Swadeshi or elementary
schools for girls. Itrefers the statement of the Chief Inspectors, Even in the
villages and remote districts the earlier indifference or hostility towards the
improvement of women's intelligence and condition was disappearing. The Punjab
was particularly fortunate in having a large number of private schools which
were supported by private bodies of every denomination. Efforts of the
activists had begun to yield results. The report of the Education Committee of
the Chief Khalsa Diwan observed that the percentage of literate women among
Sikhs increased from 1.2 to 2.7 in 1921 and increased to 4.9 percent in
1943.[21] The intellectuals of other communities also started paying special
attention to the advancement of education among the Sikhs. They visited and
participated in various sessions of Sikh Educational Conferences and noted the
achievements of the conferences. Sir Louis William Dane, the Lieutenant
Governor of Punjab, said in 1913 that education among Sikhs developed only
because of Sikh educational conferences. The important thing was that they were
fully aware about the education of their women. The women education among Sikhs
progressed rapidly. The Khalsa Samachar noted the statement of
Lieutenant Governor in Gurmukhi language.[22] Education Department of Punjab
wrote in the Punjab Education Report of 1914-1915 that “In all the districts of
Punjab the activities of the Sikh Educational Committee were being felt. The
Educational Committee of the Chief Khalsa Diwan was working strenuously to
disseminate education among the Sikh community.”[23] In 1920 Lieutenant
Governor of Punjab Sir Edward Menglegun popularly known as lat
sahib noted as, “I have been much struck on my return to the province
after an absence of some years to see how generously the Sikh community now
supports the cause of education. Wherever I go I see Khalsa schools almost all
quite new, well built and well founded which have been provided by the
liberality of the panth.”[24] Educational Committee of Chief Khalsa Diwan
opened many primary, middle and high schools for boys and girls. Sikhs were
quite advance in comparison to other communities in the Punjab in case of the
primary education of girls. In 1928the number of primary schools went upto 82
which covered almost the whole state like Peshawar, Attack, Jhelum, Gujarat,
Shahpur, Lahore, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Lyallpur, Montgomery, Ambala, Rawalpindi,
Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana etc.[25] Majority of the schools were established in Sindh
Sagar doab, areas included Rawalpindi, Jhelum and Attack. The
number of schools here was twenty-five. Earlier this area was under the
influence of Baba Khem Singh Bedi who established 108 kanya
pathshalas by1880s. He Campaigned for girls' education and succeeded
in establishing a large number of girls' schools in both Jhelum and
Rawalpindi.[26] Due to the efforts of Baba Khem Singh Bedi the area of Sindh
Sagar doab remained forward in primary education of girls. In
Bari doab and Chaj doab the number of schools
was nineteen and fourteen respectively followed by Trans-Indus with 8 schools
and Cis-Satluj with 6 schools. In Bist Jalandhar doab there
was only one school in Hoshiarpur. These kanya pathshalas generally
named as Guru Nanak Kanya Pathshalas,Gurmat Kanya Pathshalas, Sikh Kanya
Pathshalas, Khalsa Kanya Pathshalas. Some where they were named with the name
of some women like Mata Bhag Devi Kanya Pathshala, Bajuragwal (Gujarat) and
Mata Sahib Kaur Kanya Pathshala, Neela (Jhelum). There is one interesting thing
that there were some schools which opened for the girls of special castes like
Aror Bans Gurmat Kanya Pathshala, muhalla Kareempura, Peshawar
and Majbian Di Kanya Pathshala, Jethuwal, Amritsar.[27] The importance of
religion and of religious training in the life of a girl has been emphasized,
especially at the primary stage. The syllabus of primary girls' schools was
made carefully keeping these things in mind. Medium of the instruction was
Punjabi language. Emphasis was given to Gurmukhi and religion. Urdu was taught
in the 3rd class. Besides, some knowledge of Maths and Geography was also given.[28]
In 1913, the number of such schools was 60. In the year 1933, the number
increased to 126 and it reached up to 189 in 1946.
|
YEAR
|
1913
|
1928
|
1930
|
1931
|
1932
|
1933
|
1934
|
1935
|
1946
|
|
No. of Schoo
|
60
|
82
|
91
|
108
|
124
|
126
|
131
|
145
|
189
|
Source: Reports
of Educational Committees of Chief Khalsa Diwan
The table
further indicates that the number of girls' schools raised more than three
times between the years 1913 and 1946.Increase in the middle schools for the
girls was not as rapid as it was in case of primary schools. From 1913 to 1931
the increase in number of middle schools was only four. In 1913 there were 7
middle schools which rose upto 12 in 1931. After 15 years the number of middle
schools went up to 36 in 1946. It was good success. The prominent schools were
Guru Nanak Kanya Pathshala, Chakwal (Jehlum), Guru Nanak Kanya Pathshala,
Amritsar, Girls Oriental College, Jaspaloan (Ludhiana) and Rukmani Girls'
School, Haripur (Hazara).[29]
Guru Nanak
Kanya Pathshala, Amritsar remained famous for its religious instructions. Once
Shri Mool Ji (religious leader) visited the school and praised its management.
He stated that Gurmukhi was the medium of instruction in the school. English
was taught in higher classes.[30] Building was airy and clean. One of the
important features of the school was that it was managed entirely by women. The
Chief Inspector reported in the Report on Progress of Education in the Punjab
during the Quinquennial ending 1921-22 that “even where ladies committees
exist, the ladies had not shown any interest to take an active part in the
management of schools. There was fortunately one exception and that was Guru
Nanak Kanya Pathshala at Amritsar. It was managed entirely by women so far as
domestic affairs of the school were concerned.”[31] The middle classes started
from 4th standard. These were known as first middle, second middle, third
middle, fourth middle and fifth middle. Syllabus of middle classes was divided
into two parts, reading and writing. In the first middle reading Guru
Singh Itihas, Sukhmani, Japuji Sahib, Dhulhan Patrika and Grammar were
taught. In second middle reading, students were taught Hindu scriptures like
half portion of Hanuman Natak, half part of Vidaya
Ratnakar and Viakaran Parsang. In 3rd middle reading 3rd
and 4th pothi on Punjabi language and Arog
Niyamawali were studied. In 4th middle 5th and 6th pothi on
Punjabi language, remaining part of Arog Niyamawali and in 5th
middle class remaining part of 6th pothi on Punjabi
language, Binay Patrika and last part of grammar were
taught.[32] In the writing parts students studied many subjects. In first
middle class they learned to write letters or applications and dictation;
decimal system, interest, proportional and square area in Maths; Geography of
Punjab, India and Europe; History of India (first part), and Sughar
Bibiin Hygeine Physiology. Cutting and stitching of cloths were also
taught. The syllabus was upgraded in the next classes. In second middle
students were taught to write letters and proverbs. Geography of Africa,
America and Asia was studied. Remaining parts of history of India and Sughar
Bibi was completed and girls were also trained in stitching and needle
work. In 3rd middle class students learned the Geography of districts of
Punjab; in 4th and 5thmiddleGeography of Punjab, India, Asia and world was
taught. English was taught in all middle classes and Hindi was introduced in
5th middle standard.[33] The table explains it further:
The higher education
among Sikh women was even less than primary and middle education. Till 1932
there was only one high school, Sikh Kanya Mahavidyala Ferozepur and it was
also a famous boarding school. The boarding housed married, unmarried and
widowed women from India and abroad. The number of high schools went upto four
in 1936.
The other high schools were Guru Nanak Kanya Pathshala,
Amritsar, Gobind Girls High School, Abtabad and Sri Guru Hargobind Ujagar Hari
Sikh Girls School, Sidwan Khurd, Ludhiana.[34] The number of students was more
in Guru Nanak Kanya Pathshala, Amritsar but in quality, popularity and glory
wise no one could surpass the Sikh Kanya Mahavidyala, Ferozepur.[35] There were
recognized primary, middle and high classes in Sikh Kanya Mahavidyala. Gurmukhi
was taught from first standard and Urdu from ninth standard. English was also
taught. There were total 312 students resided in the ashram from
various places like Punjab, U.P, Bengal, Madras, Delhi, Sindh, Bombay, Burma,
Africa, Port Blair and Malaya etc. Lectures of scholars were held in the
institution from time to time to enrich the existing knowledge of the girls.
Trips were also arranged for them.[36] There were 291 and 622 girls were
studying respectively in the Gobind High School, Abtabad and Guru Nanak Kanya
Pathshala, Amritsar. Cooking, stitching and rag education were
a part of syllabus of Amritsar School. Sikh Girls School, Sidwan Khurd,
Ludhiana was famous in district Ludhiana. It was started by Bhai Narain Singh
as a primary school at his village Sidwan Khurd in 1909.[37] Bhai Sahib opened
itin the memory of his only demised son. It raised up to middle standard in
1920s. It was boarding school. The wife of Bhai Sahib served the school as
superintendent and widow daughter Harparkash Kaur as teacher. He donated his
land and a well to the school and constructed a building within a part of his
house. The family members of Bhai Sahib worked as honorary servants of the
institution. Bhai Sahib registered the whole property of the institution in the
name of 'panth' and made a local committee to run the affairs
of the institution.[38] The girls learned to make carpets, soaps, oils and the
art of stitching, knitting, cooking, dying and fruit preservation along with
basic instructions. One interesting fact was that sometime the students of
institution went tothe villages to teach those girls who could not come to
school.[39] Considerable attention had been paid to the industrial training and
handiwork for girls. Courses were made which were suited to the needs of the
girls and to their environment. The improvement in handiwork was an
illustration of the change.[40] Several kinds of works were done by the pupils.
At the Sikh Educational Conferences these works were displayed for sale in
separate rooms. In the exhibition of 9th Sikh Educational Conference special
attention was paid by the visitors towards the clothes of daily use, phulkaris and
other artifacts prepared by the girls of Sikh Kanya Mahavidyala Ferozepur, Guru
Nanak Kanya Pathshala Amritsar and Kanya Pathshala Sukho, Rawalpindi. Among them
a kameez prepared with hands by Bibi Jasondhanand a purse of
pearls by a blind student of Sikh Kanya Mahavidyala Ferozepur, a statue of deer
and peacock by Bibi Sushil Kaur of Amritsar and phulkaris by
the girls of Sukho Kanya Pathshala were praised by visitors.[41] It was seen
that general masses took more interest in the industrial training for their
girls. The Khalsa Dastkari School Amritsar was fulfilling their
needs. It was founded in 1913 through the efforts of Rai Bahadur Sardar Sadhu
Singh one of the founder of the Chief Khalsa Diwan, with a view to impart
training to women in cutting, tailoring, embroidery and other handicrafts.
Later on, it was renamed as Teka Devi Industrial School after the name of
Shrimati Teka Devi whose husband Sardar Mangal Singh had donated a big sum of
money in the memory of his wife.[42] Till 1928 the 14 Sikh girls had been
passed medical course form Christian Medical College, Ludhiana while 9 were
studying there. 4 girls had been passed from Lady Harding College Delhi, while
8 were studying there.[43] The Sikh girl students of Lady Harding College also
got scholarships from the endowment fund given by Rai Bahadur Sardar Narain
Singh of Delhi.[44] The increase in the number of institutions naturally added
to the financialresponsibilities of the Educational Committee of the Chief
Khalsa Diwan. Many institutions opened in temporary buildings without any
permanent fund to run them.At the occasion of Educational Conference a national
fund was raised to meet purpose. Appeals were made for funds at the annual
sessions of the Sikh Educational Conference. The Educational Committee was
vested with full control over the management of all collected funds.[45]
Grants-in-aid were issued to Khalsa institutions from these funds. The Khalsa
girls' schools affiliated to and receiving grants-in-aid from the Educational
Committee of the Chief Khalsa Diwan from its fund.[46] The Educational
Committee granted rupees 8589 to primary schools of boysand girls and rupees
3048 to high, middle and lower middle schools of girls in 1931.[47] It was a
fact that the speed at which progress was made would have been impossible of
achievement, if the Educational Conference had not been able to collect
adequate funds for the purpose.[48] Sometimes, Sikh living in foreign countries
sent financial help for the cause of education and the Chief Khalsa Diwan
distributed that amount among various institutions. Once, aid of 300 rupees was
received from many foreign countries, the Chief Khalsa Diwan distributed that
amount at the meeting of its executive body as 15rupees to Sikh Kanya
Mahavidyala Ferozepur, 15 rupees to Khalsa Bhujangan boarding
house, Kairon, 15 rupees to Sidhwan Khurd Girls' School, Ludhiana. The rest of
amount distributed to various kanya schools according to their
contribution towards society.[49] One of the greatest landmarks in the
education of girls was achieved in 1940 when first college for Sikh girls was
started at Lahore. The college started classes of Bhudimani,
Vidwani and Gyani. The arrangement of teaching English
with B.A was also there.[50] With the tremendous efforts of Educational
Committee of Chief Khalsa Diwan the percentage of educated women increased.
Sikh community ranked 2ndhighest group in women literacy with 4.9% after Hindu
with 4.46%.[51] The remarkable feature of these Khalsa institutions was that a
number of Hindu, Muslim and children from the depressed class also studied
there. The member of any community could send their girls to Khalsa
institutions. For the growth of educational movement, some reformers wanted to
impart gurmat and elementary knowledge to the children by
establishing a number of primaryschools. But it was not always possible to open
schools exclusively for girls and boys.To solve this problem Sardar Dharam
Singh; a contractor from Delhi came forwardwith the idea of co-educational
institutions. It was the most economical method ofeducating the girls also. He
viewed to impart gurmat and elementary knowledge to the
children by establishing primary schools attached with village dharmsalas.[52]
An idea came first time to propagate elementary education among the community
at the 4thSikh Educational Conference, Rawalpindi. A national fund was also
raised for the purpose. In 1915, Educational Committee made a scheme to impart
elementary education to the Sikh boys and girls through Gurdawaras and Dharmsalas of
the villages. But the work was not done for next 10 years. In 1926 Sardar
Bhadur Dharam Singh came forward with second scheme of elementary
education.[53] He selected 19members of the trust named as Guru Nanak Vidaya
Bhandar Trust and got it registered. An educational sub-committee of three
members of the Trust was founded. Sardar Shivdev Singh, B.A, LLB, Honorary
Secretary, Educational Committee Amritsar; Professor Jodh Singh, Khalsa
College, Amritsar and Professor Teja Singh, Khalsa College, Amritsar were
members of the sub-committee. Sardar Shivdev Singh was made administrative
incharge of schools.[54] The Trust started its 16 schools in the neighboring
villages of Amritsar in1926. These schools were affiliated with Chief Khalsa
Diwan and 4 to 5 more schools had submitted their affiliation forms for
sanction in the same year.[55] The Chief Khalsa Diwan provided special help to
run the schools. The syllabus sanctioned by the District Board was taught in
the schools therefore District Board also gave them grants. Medium of instructions
was in Gurmukhi script. Along with religious and Gurmukhi learning, Urdu, Maths
and Geography were taught. Sometimes the students got middle school
scholarships. The teachers of these schools were rewarded by the trust.
Religious education was emphasized. Shabdi jathas were made in
some schools.[56]
Guru Nanak Vidya Bhandar Trust Delhi worked immensely for the cause of
education. It ran about hundred schools, propagated education for low caste
people and opened an industrial school at Delhi.[57] Mostly these schools ran
at village dharmsalas and historical Gurdwaras. Buildings of
these schools were better than the schools of District Board. Once an Assistant
District Inspector of schools, tehsil Jagraon, district
Ludhiana wrote in the visitor book that the building of the school was well
build and no building was equal to it in the Jagraon centre.[58] Small scale
libraries for staff, students as well as for local people were also established
in the premises of the schools. The Bhandar Trust sent books on Sikh History,
General knowledge, periodicals on religion and education in such libraries.
Bhandar Trust had made arrangements for the education of adults in Night
schools. About sixty adults joined them to take lessons in their free time.[59]
The Trust also contributed to run Junior Vernacular class for teachers training
in the Khalsa College by providing financial help.[60] There were 73 men and
women teachers working in Bhandar schools. Mostly teachers were qualified with
normal or gyani classes. Some untrained teachers also worked
as preachers. Women teachers generally belonged to the families of male
teaching staff. Local bodies encouraged the wives of the school masters to
become literate and join the teaching profession. Untrained women teachers gave
training of stitching and knitting to the girl students. The teachers were paid
by the Bhandar Trust.[61]
The number of these schools increased with the passage of
time. The Guru Nanak Vidaya Bhandar Trust also started schools for untouchable
children in many villages.[62]One such school was running at Verka, district
Amritsar where students were provided free stationary by the Trust.[63] Special
emphasis was given to the handicraft works. Some of these schools maintain
gardens of their own also, looked after by the students every day. Special
classes of dyeing and printing clothes were started at Delhi.[64] Leather work
was also taught there. All these handicraft items and fruits of the garden of
Bhandar schools were exhibited at the Sikh Educational Conferences. At the
Lahore Sikh Educational Conference the schools of Bhandar trust displayed their
works of art and craft at large scale. District Inspector of schools, Amritsar
reported in detail the exhibition of these schools in the following: “This room
was engaged by Sardar Amar Singh Secretary of the Guru Nanak Vidaya Bhandar
Sabha, which maintains a number of primary schools, One printed Gurmukhi copy
slip was placed alongside a manuscript copy written by one of the boys of these
schools and it was very hard to distinguish between two. These schools have a
system of co-education which has already proved a great success. Wooden and
iron models teaching Gurmukhi letters had a very high educational value. Some
of the exhibits included kashida, crochet, sewing and knitting
work such as nice phulkaries, handkerchiefs, table clothes, pillow
covers, mufflers, cushions, socks, bootsand shirts etc. done by the girls and
mistresses of these schools were highly appreciated. Fresh fruits, nice lemons,
grapes and oranges were placed everyday in the room for display. Some specimens
of carpentry works were also exhibited. The most interesting and fascinating
exhibit was a specimen of the steamship prepared by the head teacher
atKirtangarh in the Amritsar District, which was kept, floating in a tub of
water. This gave the spectators a general conception of a steamship.”[65] The
system of co-education of Bhandar schools proved a great success. In1939 there
were total 58 co-education schools of Bhandar Trust. 4 schools worked atU.P,
one at Delhi and one at Guru Ki Kashi (Patiala State). 52 schools worked at the
9districts of Punjab like Amritsar, Lahore, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar,
Ludhiana,Hoshiarpur, Ambala, Hisar and Layalpur. The trust also worked for the
adult education. “Of the 52 schools, 8 were night schools where instruction was
given to adults. The total number of students of these schools was 3135. They
were 1990 boys, 968 girls and 177 adults. The students admitted without any
distinction of caste and creed. 2557 Sikhs, 205 Hindus, 320 Muslims and 53
untouchables were studying in these schools.”[66] The good point was that the
schools carried on co-education system and solved a difficult problem of the
girls’ education. About one thousand girls were studying in Bhandar schools.
The Trust benefited the province both ways. It saved finance of the province as
to establish separate schools for girls were heavy economic burden and also
solved the problem of scarcity of women teachers for girls' schools. Guru Nanak
Vidaya Bhandar Trust schools were appreciated by Education Department and
newspapers of the time reflected this: Phulwari, Lahore appreciated
the contribution of the trust in imparting education in a number of districts
of Punjab.[67] Sacha Sajjan Akhbar, Amritsar noted the remarks of
Commissioner of rural development on 8-3-1938 that trust schools were
successfully run and these set an example for rural education. Deputy
Commissioner of Ludhiana who happened to visit the Bhandar School remarked that
Bhandar Khalsa schools were continuing to do well in making co-education
popular in the villages.[68]
