Burmese Sketches - Khamkoo

BURMESE SKETCHES. ^'^Q
for the purpose of training, disciplining, and refining them. It
took centuries in the course of human development to evolve
such a comprehensive definition of education; and, in my
lecture, 1 shall attempt to indicate whether such a dehnition
was ever understood in this country.
After all, the destiny of a nation is moulded by Its system
of education ; and, if Burma is ever to take her place among
the nations of the world, her system of education should be
watched with jealous care and fostered with assiduous attention.
It Is education that differentiates the European from the
Asiatic and has made the nations of Europe great In human
achievements, and it is education that has enabled Japan to
assert her power against her powerful neighbour. In short,
civilization itself with its concomitants : the security of life and
property, peace and order, justice and freedom, is nothing but
the inevitable result of an organized system of education.
In studying any subject, it is well that we should survey it In
a comprehensive manner by taking also into consideration the
essential accessories which can scarcely be separated from It.
Thus, If we have to study an author, it conduces to our better
appreciation of his merits and toleration of his faults. If we also
bear In mind the age he lived In, the circumstances which
moulded his character and genius, his parentage, nationality
and education. In investigating, therefore, the subject of educa-
tion in Burma, certain accessories should be considered. In
the first place, the condition of Burma under native rule, which
passed away In i8b6, should be compared with that of some
well known country In Europe, and an endeavour should be
made to ascertain In what respects similarities and divergences
exist. For this purpose, no country can be better chosen than
England, to which we all owe our allegiance. Comparing
England with Burma at the present time, It seems to me that
the former country Is at least 400 years ahead of the latter in
. all kinds
political.
of progress : social,
To know Burma,
material, intellectual, moral or
then, under the native regime
we must put back the dial of time to the days preceding the
revival of letters In England, i.e. to say, before English thought
and English life had been transformed by the labours of Colet,
Erasmus, and Thomas Moore. In both countries three main
principles of modern civilization, viz , liberty, justice and selfgovernment,
were absent. Thought was hampered In its
expression, and vested authority or caprice had to be respected
^nd implicitly obeyed In all matters. The priest Interfered in