“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
Colonial Education System : Second Phases (1813-1853 CE)
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
Colonial Education System : Second Phases (1813-1853 CE)
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.
Colonial Education System: Fourth Phase (1901 – 1920)
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
Colonial Education System: Fourth Phase (1901 – 1920)
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.
Colonial Education System: Fourth Phase (1901 – 1920)
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
Colonial Education System: Fifth Phase (1921 – 1947)
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
Colonial Education System: Fifth Phase (1921 – 1947)
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.
Colonial Education System: Fifth Phase (1921 – 1947)
Sargeant Plan of Education, 1944
Colonial Education System: Fifth Phase (1921 – 1947)
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
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