“changes and contribution of colonial rule towards the educational system in india”

“CHANGES AND CONTRIBUTION OF COLONIAL RULE

TOWARDS THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM in India”

DR. ANKIT AGARWALIndian Archaeological Society

Different Colonial Education Policies

Colonial power Educational Institutions

Promoted the needs of the Colonizer

Colonial Educational

Policies

Certain common characteristics

Differing policies in different Countries and Times

Shaped

Guided Educational policy

For utilizing the resources of the colonies

Similarity between interests of Colonizers

In the first two hundred

years

East India Company: Initial Days

Did not promote any system of education

Why?What was the education system existed?

Not necessary for fulfillment of their trade interest

Traditional education system

Gurukul Madarsa Maktabs Sufi centersMosques/Khanqahs

Private Houses

Why did Colonial Power introduce Education?

Administrative Economic PoliticalReligious

Financial difficulties expenditures on Salary of English

Officers

Expansion of Empire

Dispelling darkness and Superstition

Spreading Christianity

Positive bond between Ruler and

Ruled

Need of Administrator

Importance of India

Supplier of cheap raw materials

As a growing Market

Need of skilled Indian

emploies who know English

Reason

Colonial Education System In India: Phases

First Phase – 1758-1812 CE

Second Phase – 1813-1853 CE

Third Phase – 1854 -1900 CE

Forth Phase – 1901 -1920 CE

Fifth Phase – 1921 -1947 CE

Colonial Education System : First Phases (1758-1812 CE)

The British East India Company showed very little interest in the education of its subjects during this period, the 2 minor exceptions being :

1. The Calcutta Madrsah set up by Warren Hastings in 1781 for the study and teaching of Muslim law and subjects.

2. The Sanskrit college at Varanasi by Jonathan Duncan in 1792 for the study of Hindu Law

and Philosophy.

Both were designed to provide a regular supply of qualified Indians to help the administration of law in the courts of Co.

Colonial Education System : Second Phases (1813-1853 CE)

British Parliament

Insisted

Directors of the Company

Gave missionaries freedom to work in India

Company Charter of 1813

Aside one lakh rupees for education

Great Influx of Missionaries into the country

Opened Schools, Hospitals, Orphanages

Motive Not Humanitarian

For Westernization of Indigenous people

Evangelicals, Christian Missionaries

pressurized


Two controversies about the nature of education

Emphasis on the Modern Western Studies Or Traditional Indian

Learning

Adopt Indian Languages or English as the

Medium of Instruction

Opinion divided in three groups

Supporters of Traditional Indian Learning

Supporters of Modern Western Studies

H.T. Princep, H.H. Willison Thomas B. Macaulay, C. E. Trevelyan

Supporters of Modern Western Studies in Indian

Language

Munaro, Elphistonson

Controversies settled in 1835, when William Bentinck applied english medium on the suggestions of

macualay


In 1844, Lord Hardinge decided to give government, employment to Indians educated in English

Schools. The success was thus assured (of English education). It made good progress in the 3 presidencies of Bengals, Bombay and Madras where the number of schools and colleges increased.

Three other developments were :

• A great upsurge in the activities of the missionaries who did pioneer work in quite a few fields of modern education.

• Establishment of medical, engineering and law colleges, which marked a beginning in professional education.

• Official sanction accorded to education of girls (Lord Dalhousie, in fact, offered the open support of government).

Second Phase (1813 – 1853): Downward Filtration Theory

This policy continued till the very end of British rule, although it was officially

abandoned in 1854.

Downward Filtration Theory

education and modern ideas were supposed to filter or

radiate downward from the upper classes.

Meaning

NeedGovernment policy of opening a few english

school and colleges instead of a large number of

elementary schools for fulfill their needs

Colonial Education System: Third Phase (1854 – 1900)

The Educational Dispatch,1854

Downwards Filtration Theory

Rejected

Stress

Mass and Female Education

Improvement of Local languages

Secularism in Education.

Creation of Education Departments,1855

BombayMadras

BengalN.W. Provinces Punjab

Colonial Education System: Third Phase (1854 – 1900)

Government should maintain only a few schools and colleges; others to be

left to private hands.

Hunter Commission, 1882

Appointed by Lord Ripon

Under Sir WW Hunter

Policy of Laissez faire

local bodies should be entrusted with the

management of primary schools.

Allahabad (1887)

Establishment of universities, In third Phase

Calcutta (January 1857)Bombay (July 1857)

Madras (September 1857)Punjab (1882)

Third Phase (1854 – 1900): Effects

Organized social/Political organizations ↑

Encouragement of Western

Studies

Western history and ideas such as equality, Independence,

organization

Movement of Independence ↑

Nationalism↑

Reason for increasing discontent and sedition

Growing awareness among British officials

Political dangers of English education

Limited jobs opportunity for the

educated

Colonial Education System: Fourth Phase (1901 – 1920)

Lord Curzon appointed a Universities Commission under Thomas Raleigh (Law member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council) in 1902. The Commission made following recommendations:

1. The existing universities should be reorganized as teaching bodies and No new university should be set up.

2. The undergraduate work should be left to affiliated colleges and only advanced courses should be provided in the university campus.

3. The number of Senators should also be reduced and the period of their tenure should be 5 years at the most.

4. University and college teachers, renowned scholars and Government officials should get adequate representation in the senate.

5. The territorial jurisdiction of a university should be defined.

6. The number of members on the Syndicate should be reduced to 9 and to 15 in exceptional cases. All members should be elected. 8.

7. Rules of affiliation should be strict and affiliation should not be granted to second grade colleges.

8. Every affiliated college should be under the control of a Governing Body which should pay attention to staff, library, hostel and buildings.


Universities Act of 1904 was criticized by nationalists for its tightening government, control over universities.

Universities Commission,

1902

Recommendations

Universities Act of 1904

Not encouraging the policy of laissez Faire

periodic inspection of institutions

speedier transaction of

business

Enabled the universities to assume

teaching functions


Saddler Commission ,

1917

Appointed by Lord Chelmsford Two Indians: Sir Ashutosh Mukherji

and Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed

Objective: Inquire into the condition of the University of

CalcuttaMain recommendations:

All the teaching resources in Calcutta should be organized so that the Calcutta University may become entirely a teaching university.

For improving the administration of the university, The senate and the syndicate should be replaced by the Court and the Executive Council respectively.

The government interference in the academic matters should stop.

An Academic Council should be set up in each university to deal with all academic questions.

Continue

There was a need for coordinating agency. Hence an inter-University Board should be set up.

Teaching and research work should be organized under different departments and each department should have a head.

A full time Vice-Chancellor, Faculties, boards of studies, and other statutory bodies should be formed.

Honours courses should be instituted and they should be distinctly different from the Pass courses.

Tutorials and superior kinds of research work should be organized.

Provisions should be made for imparting instruction in engineering education, medicine, law, agriculture and technology.

Seven new universities (Banaras, Mysore, Patna, Aligarh, Lucknow, Dhaka and Osmania) should be established and the older ones are recognized as teaching and residential.


Why did Indians go to the new schools and colleges?

Knowledge of English was necessary for traders and businessmen.

Economic Self-Betterment

Men from lower castes could raise their social status by acquiring

Western education.

Means of Social Mobility

People joined educational institutions for entering government service and professions such as law, medicine, teaching or journalism.

Government service and professions

Who were the Indians who avail the new schools and colleges?

Resident of Three Presidencies (Madras, Bengal, Bombay)

Traditional Literate Castes (Brahmins in Madras and Maharshtra, the Kayasthas, Baidyas and Brahmins in Bengal or the Kayasthas and Sayeeds in U.P.)

Urban People (Agarwals, Khatris and Aroras in Punjab and U.P. Where Muslims were more urbanized) mostly Traders (Vanis) in Gujrat

Some Religious communities (Parsis, Jews, Jains)

Colonial Education System: Fifth Phase (1921 – 1947)

During this Phase, Education became a provincial subject and Came under Indian control officially. Thus, expansions started everywhere.

By responding to the dissatisfaction felt by the Indian people about the Government of India Act of 1919, the Simon Commission was appointed on November 8, 1927, to inquire into the working of the administration under the Act.

About this time as agitation against the Government was going on, it was felt necessary to give due importance to education in India.

The Government therefore authorised the commission to appoint a Committee to help it in preparing a report on education. So the commission appointed a committee under the chairmanship of Sir Phillip Hartog to inquire into the conditions of education in India.

In 1929, Hartog Committee submitted its report and Recommended the policy of consolidation and improvement of Primary education


Main Recommendations

Primary Education Secondary EducationHigher Education

Compulsory Primary Education

Quality Development

Four years Duration

Liberalised Curriculum

Improved teachers standard

Government inspection

Rural Centres

Diversified Curriculum

Improved the salary and service conditions

Regular Salaries of teachers

Improved Training facilities of the

Teacher

Establishment of affiliated Colleges

Universities appointed teachers

for affiliated colleges

More advanced Honours Course

Opened Employment Bureau

Central Library in Each University


The Sapru Committee appointed in 1934 by the U.P. Government to enquire into the causes of unemployment in U.P.

Conclusion: The system of education commonly prevalent prepared pupils only for examinations and degrees and not for any avocation in life.

Main Recommendations:

(i) Diversified courses at the secondary stage should be introduced, one of these leading to the University degree

(ii) The intermediate stage be abolished and the secondary stage be extended by one year

(iii) The vocational training and education should begin after the lower secondary stage

(iv) The Degree course at the University should extend over a period of three years.

In1937, the Congress Ministry concentrated their attention on educational reforms.

In October 1937, an all-India National Educational Conference was summoned at Wardha under the presidentship of Mahatma Gandhi.

The conference appointed a committee under the chairmanship of Dr. Zakir Hussain. The Committee submitted its report on December 2, 1937, and the scheme of education suggested by it is popularly known as the "Wardha Scheme", the main features of which are as follows-

• A Basic Craft is to serve as the centre of instruction. The idea is not to teach some handicraft side by side with liberal education, but the entire education

is to be imparted through some industry or vocation.

• The scheme is to be self-supporting to the extent of covering teachers salaries and aims at making pupils self-supporting after the completion of their

course.

• Manual labour is insisted on so that every individual may learn to earn his living. It is also considered non-violent, since an individual does not snatch away the living of others with the help of a machine.

• Instruction is closely coordinated with the child's life, i.e., his home and village crafts and occupations.


Sargeant Plan of Education, 1944


Main Recommendations

Establishment of elementary schools

and high school

Universal and compulsory education for all children between the ages of 6 – 11

High schools of 2 types: Academic, Technical &

Vocational.

Abolished Intermediate courses

Drawbacks of Colonial Education

Literacy at the time of independence was about 15 per cent.

Education in the colonial era was not only quantitatively inadequate, in had also qualitative defects.

It had a predominantly literary bias.

All higher appointments were reserved for Europeans.

In the private sector, The employment opportunities for qualified and highly trained Indians were very few.

As regards content, there was an over-emphasis on the study of languages and humanities. So much time in a school boy’s life was spent on mastering a foreign language that often the main purpose of education was missed.

Contribution of Colonial Education

In the initial days of British Seigniory, Britishers gave land, funds and titles to small rulers making them raja in taken at their services and support against the local people (britishers need some reputed people, who’s able to control the people). They started to send their children in U.K. for higher education, because of the money getting from the land revenues. These children’s such as Gandhi, Nehru, Jinna knew the value of independence. After fulfill their education, they come back in India and Make an understanding about the value of swaraaj in between of general people. They involve and lead the people in Indian independence movement.

In the last phase, Britishers also encouraged technical education like medical education, engineering etc. These type of education encourage technical industries, hospitals etc. and changed the traditional system such as ayurvedic medicines and manual labor based industries.

Contribution of Colonial Education

Britishers also encouraged commercial education, which enabled pupils to get a job in private sector and encouraged for establishing their own business.

In Present days, if we consider the progress made by our country in the last 60 years vis-à-vis the Japan, Israel, China, Taiwan, Korea, Taiwan, Brazil, Spain, Norway and so many other countries that have their education system, government, parliamentary system based on the local language(s) of the people. We can realize that we are more ahead then other Asian or eastern country in speaking and writing English, which is considered as an international language. Ability of speaking and writing English attract the service providers in India for cheap services and emerge as a service hub. May be, this is the benefit of colonial

education system. .

Thank You

“changes and contribution of colonial rule towards the educational system in india”

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