St. George’s Anglo Indian School in Chennai was founded in 1715 by Reverend William Stevenson, Chaplain of St. Mary’s Church, Fort St. George. File | Photo credit: S. Thanthoni
In 1872, the Church of Scotland Mission, which had established several schools in the Madras Presidency, recorded several schools being closed due to mounting debts. It also pointed to the lack of female teachers in other institutions that have been operating so far. William Stevenson, secretary of the Free Church of Scotland Mission, noted this in a letter dated 10 April 1872 to JC Loch, Chairman of the Town Commission. This letter found citation in the Madras Census results of 1871 published subsequently.
Sharing statistics on the performance of Free Church of Scotland Mission schools in Madras – the first of which was established 35 years earlier, he noted that certain records were maintained only during the previous 11 years. The increase in the number of students on the rolls in 1871-72 was only about 30 per cent, as compared with the record of 1860-61.
Stevenson noted with dismay that the Triplicane Boys and Girls Schools were abandoned in 1866. “The Mission was forced to do so because it fell into debt,” he wrote. In the early years of the mission’s history, subscriptions from friends in India were a large source of income. “The amount received in this way is now almost inestimable. As much or rather more is sent from Scotland than in former times, but now in India levies and government grants have taken the place of voluntary contributions. It was a difficult time when the one failed and the other did not yet supply the demand,” he pointed out.
In later years, some other schools that were in operation witnessed a huge increase in the amount collected from fees. “Perhaps the 1,440 rupees collected last year in the girls’ schools is as much a mark of progress as the 12,000 rupees collected in the two boys’ schools. In both cases it is a testimony to the high standing held by the Madras schools, and to the growing appreciation of education among the natives,” said Stevenson.
While significant progress has been made in the education of women, there have been concerns about the lack of female teachers to tutor girls. “One of the great wants in connection (as the letter states) with the education of women is a supply of competent female teachers. To meet this want there is a Normal Class connected with two of our girls’ schools—a boarding school and a day school. Of these, 12 native Christian young women have advanced to the final teacher’s examination and obtained certificates. When such efficient female teachers have made great improvement, they will replace the teachers in girls’ schools.
He also mentioned that although Parcherry School is classified as a girls’ school, boys also attend it. It was a mixed school for the poorest classes. “Chetty Girls’ School attracts the most conservative section of the population who have done nothing to educate their girls so far,” Stevenson added.
Incidentally, schools were established in Madras (today’s Chennai) and Cuddalore under Stevenson’s patronage.
View of the chapel of St. Marie at the Anglo Indian School and St. George’s Orphanage, the oldest English-language school in Asia. File | Photo credit: R. Ravindran
The Education Census stated that the lack of any adequate provision for the provision of female teachers is now “one great blemish” on our education system.
“It is certain that the native public has withdrawn from its old position of antagonism to female education, but few things are sadder in this connection than the sight of a girls’ school in which every teacher is a man, too often some old and illiterate Brahman, who teaches only for a living, and has not a shadow of sympathy for the work for which he is really a healthy teacher, so long as she should be a reluctant teacher. Yet, with the exception of the Government Women’s Normal School and this Free Training Class Church Mission, nothing at all has been systematically done for this great object, not even the two named, the Government Women’s Normal School, is a mere name, without any practical value,” recorded the Census.
Published – 04 Feb 2026 05:30 IST
