ABSTRACT
During the period 1850 to 1861 Protestant missionaries in Bengal did not necessarily see a conflict between missionary English and missionary vernacular education and, at their Conference held in Calcutta in 1855, for example, a majority of missionaries voted for resolutions in favour of continuing both systems of education. Both were felt to be useful as methods of evangelism – English schools being ‘especially fitted to bring the Gospel home to the active and intelligent classes of the large cities and towns’ and vernacular schools suited for similar work in rural areas. 1
