Educational Reforms In British Era
The Dispatch of Charles Wood (1854)
Sir Charles Wood, who was the chairman of the Board of Control in the coalition government of the Earl of Aberdeen (1852–55), drew up a detailed plan for India's future education in 1854. This article of Charles Wood, called 'Magna Carta of Indian Education'
Dispatch was the first comprehensive proposal relating to the development of education in India. The major recommendations of this dispense were as follows
(i) In this, the government was asked to bear the responsibility of education of the general public. Thus the theory of downward vitrification remained confined, at least on paper.
(ii) It suggested the establishment of indigenous language primary schools in the villages. Go above them, Anglo-Indigenous-Linguistic High Schools at the district level and universities on the lines of the University of London should be established in the three Presidency cities- Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. These universities will have a Vice-Chancellor, a Senate and its fellows. All these will be appointed by the government. These universities will conduct examinations and award degrees.
(iii) It suggested to make English the medium of higher education and native languages asthe medium of instruction at the school level.
(iv) It emphasized the need for women's education and vocational education and recommended the establishment of technical schools and teacher training institutions.
(v) Grants-in-aid to encourage private efforts in this area It also recommended the introduction of the grant-in-aid system.
(vi) Public Education Department under one director each in the five provinces of the Company.(Department of Public Instruction) was established. of this department The task was to review the progress and spread of education and to send a report in this regard to the government every year.
(vii) It emphasized that the education imparted in government educational institutions should be secular.
(viii) It also declared that the aim of the government's education policy is to spread western education.Universities were opened in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras in 1857 and later education departments were also formed in all the provinces.
The efforts made in the field of women's education between 1840 and 1858 got a meaningful culmination when J.E.D.Bethune School was established by Bethune in 1849 in Calcutta. Bethune was the President of the Council of Education. It was mainly through the efforts of Bethune that some women's schools were established and they were given the support of the government. Brought under the grant and inspection system.
