Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c28.s1.4

c28.s1.4

**Senior Students as Assistant Masters.** To manage a school of 500 pupils and undertake their education were no easy tasks for an individual teacher. He was, however, helped by a staff of Assistant Masters (*piṭṭhiāchāriya*). It was only the most advanced or senior pupils that were appointed as Assistant Masters [ii, 100; v, 457]. Assistance in teaching was also rendered by the senior pupils as such. We are told of a teacher appointing his oldest disciple to act as his substitute [i, 141]. Another teacher of Taxila, while going to Benares on some mission, appointed his chief pupil to take charge of his school during his absence, saying: "My son, I am going away from home; while I am away, you are to instruct these my pupils" (numbering 500) [iv, 51]. These senior pupils, by being associated in the work of teaching, soon became fit to be teachers. We read of Prince Sutasoma of the Kuru country who "being the senior pupil soon attained to proficiency in teaching" and, "becoming the private teacher" of his comrade in the school, "soon educated him, while the others only gradually acquired their learning" [v, 457–8]