The Ban Against Vernacular.

WE understand that the Oriental Faculty of the Punjab University has voted against the provincial vernaculars being recognised as alternative compulsory languages in the Matriculation examination on the Arts side. The decision of the Oriental Faculty will be widely and deeply regretted throughout the province. With all deference to those who voted in favour of the decision, it must be said that the decision is not only educationally unsound but is calculated to retard the educational progress of the province. The history of the question needs to be recalled. The matter arose out of a reference by the Punjab Provincial Educational Conference convened by the Director of Public Instruction, Punjab, to consider the question of the teaching of the vernaculars in the secondary schools of the Province. The matter had been raised by Khan Bahadur Mian Fazl-i-Hussain in the Provincial Legislative Council and the then Director of Public Instruction had promised to lay the question before an Educational Conference.