ABSTRACT
Since April 1875 no notice of this valuable institution has appeared in our pages, and we are anxious once more to interest our readers in its continued progress and success. For the advantage of those who have not seen our sketch of its history and origin in the July number 1872 of The Indian Female Evangelist, we may mention that the Sarah Tucker Training Institution for Native Christian Girls was established about fifteen years ago as a suitable memorial of Miss Sarah Tucker (sister of the Rev. J. Tucker, the Church Missionary Society’s Secretary in Madras), who had taken such a deep and active interest in the work of female education in India. The object was to train native Christian girls as schoolmistresses for their countrywomen, and the memorial fund was handed over to the Church Missionary Society, which had cordially approved the plan proposed, and undertaken to adopt and start the institution. Palamcottah, the principal town of the Tinnevelly district, was decided on as a suitable locality, and after various vicissitudes, it was fairly established on its present admirable working system, under the management of the Rev. A. H. and Mrs. Lash in 1868. During these nine years 250 Christian girls have been under their care and training at different times, 90 of whom have already been employed as schoolmistresses, 5 as Bible-women, and 2 in a medical capacity. Eighty-seven of these students have passed the Government Examination for schoolmistresses, and have obtained third-grade certificates, and the interesting report for the year ending March 1877, which has reached our hands, proves that the institution is continuing to fulfil the design of its founders.
