25. Development of Education in British India

25. DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION IN BRITISH INDIA The Government of East India Company and later on the British crown government showed little interest in the education of its subjects. Whatever efforts were made by the British in the education were basically to action of their own objectives of getting English educated clerks in India at lower salaries. Here is a chronicle of British efforts towards the development of education in British India: • Warren Hastings set up the Calcutta Madrasa in 1781. • In 1791, Jonathan Duncan opened a Sanskrit College at Benaras. • In 1800, Lord Wellesley founded Fort Williams College at Calcutta with the objective of teaching Indian languages and culture to the British East India CompanyVs factors. • The Charter Act of 1813, recognized for the first time the British East India governments responsibility of educating the people, hence, it provided for an annual expeditions of one lakh of rupees. • David Hare founded Calcutta Hindu College in 1817. • In 1835, it was declared that the medium of instruction at higher level would only be English. • Lord Macaulay propounded his famous Infiltration Theory. • Lord Macaulay did not accept the worthiness of Eastern Literature and said that “a single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia”. Wood’s Dispatch on Education, 1854 • Charles Woods Dispatch is called that Magna Carta of education in British East India. • Charles Woods formulated a comprehensive document on education in British India from primary level to the higher level. Woods Dispatch also decided that what would be the medium of instruction at primary level, secondary level and at college level. • The aim of government\’s educational policy was the teaching of masters education. 104 • For higher education of instruction, English was adopted and for primary education, Vernacular languages were accepted as medium. • Vernacular Primary Schools, Anglo-Vernacular High Schools and affiliated colleges were set up. • Grants-in-aid system encouraged the private enterprise in education. • The importance of women education was recognized and it was given priority. • Training to the teachers was emphasized, thus Teachers Training Programmes were set up. • The importance of technical education was recognized. • The Roorkee University was set up. • In 1857, universities at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras were set up. Hunter Commission 188283 • It was one member commission appointed by Viceroy Lord Ripon to review Education Policy of the Government. The Hunter Commission stressed that the Government should pay special attention for the extension and improvement of primary education. • It also stressed on secondary, commercial and technical education. • The Hunter Commission also made recommendation for special efforts for women education. • It emphasized to encourage private enterprise in education. • Punjab University was set up in 1882 • Allahabad University was set up in 1887. Indian Universities Act, 1904 • The Indian Universities Act 1904, was passed and enacted in the viceroyalty of Lord Curzon. • This Act was passed on the recommendation of Sir Thomas Raleigh Commission on Education appointed by Lord Curzon in 1901, at the conclusion of Shimla Education Conference. • Gurudas Benerjee was the only Indian member in the Raleigh Commission. • The provisions of Indian University Act, 1904 provided that the fellows of the universities were to be nominated by the government. • The Act provided veto power to the government in the matter of universities. • The Act increased universitiesY control over private colleges. • The number of Fellows were fixed. • The Act empowered Governor General-in-council to define the territorial limits of a university or divide the affiliation of colleges to universities. Resolution on Education Policy, 21st February, 1913 • In 1906, the progressive state of Baroda introduced compulsory primary education throughout its territories. • During 1910-13, Gopal Krishna Gokhle refused to recognize the Principle of Compulsory Education but accepted the policy of the removal of illiteracy. The Sadler University Commission, 1917-19 • The Sadler Commission was set up basically to look into the functions of Calcutta University. • Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee and Ziauddin Ahmad were two India members in the Commission. • Sadler Commission gave recommendation for the improvement in higher education. • Sadler Commission recommended that after intermediate level there should be 3 years degree course. 105 • The Commission emphasized on women education. • Sadler Commission recommended that facilities for teachers’ training are to be increased. • Sadler Commission recommended that the universities should have the campus which has to provide residential and boarding facilities to the students. The Hartog Committee 1929 • The Hartog Committee emphasized the national importance of primary education. • It recommended the Policy of Consolidation and improvement. • Improvement of university management was stressed. Wardha Scheme of Basic Education, 1937 • In 1937, Mahatma Gandhi published a series of articles in his paper ‘The Harijan’ in which he proposed a scheme of education called Basic Education Scheme, better known as the Wardha Scheme. • The main principle of Basic Education is - learning through activity. • The Zakir Hussain Committee worked out the details of the scheme and prepared detailed syllabi for a number of courses and made suggestions conforming training of teachers, supervision, examination and administration.