Burmese Tabayin, a village now included in the Ye-u subdivision of
Shwebo. These Christians returned themselves as Burmese. The forms of
Christianity which make most converts in Burma are the Baptist and Roman
Catholic faiths. Of recent years many conversions to Christianity have been
made by the American Baptist missionaries amongst the Lahu or Muhsoe hill
tribesmen.

_Education._--Compared with other Indian provinces, and even with some of
the countries of Europe, Burma takes a very high place in the returns of
those able to both read and write. Taking the sexes apart, though women
fall far behind men in the matter of education, still women are better
educated in Burma than in the rest of India. The average number of each sex
in Burma per thousand is:--literates, male 378; female, 45; illiterates,
male, 622; female, 955. The number of literates per thousand in Bengal
is:--male, 104; female, 5. The proportion was greatly reduced in the 1901
census by the inclusion of the Shan States and the Chin hills, which mostly
consist of illiterates.

The fact that in Upper Burma the proportion of literates is nearly as high
as, and the proportion of those under instruction even higher than, that of
the corresponding classes in Lower Burma, is a clear proof that in primary
education, at least, the credit for the superiority of the Burman over the
native of India is due to indigenous schools. In almost every village in
the province there is a monastery, where the most regular occupation of one
or more of the resident _pongyis_, or Buddhist monks, is the instruction
free of charge of the children of the village. The standard of instruction,
however, is very low, consisting only of reading and writing, though this
is gradually being improved in very many monasteries. The absence of all
prejudice in favour of the seclusion of women also is one of the main
reasons why in this province the proportion who can read and write is
higher than in any other part of India, Cochin alone excepted. It was not
till 1890 that the education department took action in Upper Burma. It was
then ascertained that there were 684 public schools with 14,133 pupils, and
1664 private schools with 8685 pupils. It is worthy of remark that of these
schools 29 were Mahommedan, and that there were 176 schools for girls in
which upwards of 2000 pupils were taught. There are three circles--Eastern,
Central and Upper Burma. For the special supervision and encouragement