High School Students in Poona

This is the report of an unfinished enquiry. The field work portion of it could not be completed as the writer left Poona. However, the main object of the enquiry was to see if a hypothesis could be framed. I believe it will be quite fruitful to enquire into the relationship between social stratification and the educational system, and how far education has been a force making for occupational mobility in particular and social mobility in general, and how far it has been moulded itself by the traditional social stratification of India. Although this enquiry is imperfect and incomplete it throws light on some points of the problem.

I am quite aware of the shortcomings in the work but such imperfections inevitably only come to light in the working and the only way in which I could have remedied them would have been for me to get an opportunity to repeat the enquiry.

I must thank the Principals of all the school for their hearty cooperation. I am very grateful to Dr. S.M. Katre, the Director of Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, whose encouragement and help were constant from outset of the enquiry. Dr. R.G. Harshe, the Registrar of the Institute gave invaluable help in framing the questionnaire in Marathi. I must also thank the administrative and the library staff of the Institute for their cooperation.