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who were reluctant to co-operate with Luang Phaw's reforms. They were the ones who preferred the status quo. Luang Phaw observed: "These uneducated children are littering up the country — and wrecking this temple in their spare time — they will grow up into hooligans." Soon he looked for financial support for the teaching fees and set up a community school. Three-hundred children signed up because it was free. Many of the conspiring neighbours realized what Luang Phaw was doing for them and started to accept him. The scruffiness of Wat Paknam started to recede. About the same time, the reforms begun by King Chulalongkorn to establish government-sponsored primary education throughout the kingdom were implemented in Bhasicharoen. Because the policy of the Ministry of Public Instruction was underfinanced and slow to implement, it started with utilization of the monasteries thoughout the kingdom for the introduction of new texts and techniques. When the abbot of neighbouring Wat Khunjan passed away, Luang Phaw was designated acting abbot. That temple also had a school and Luang Phaw gradually moved the teaching activities there. In Wat Paknam he developed the old primary school ready for use in teaching Pali and Dhamma for the temple's monks and novices. Originally the monks of Wat Paknam who studied Pali had to travel to other temples such as Wat Anong, Wat Kalyanamitr, Wat Phrayurawong, Wat Mahathat and Wat Phra Chetupon. In those days the only way to travel was by canal boat. Thonburi, for instance, had no roads. Phraputha-yodha·chulalok