2. Indigenous Education System
Before the British Rule, Education was imparted through a
chain of elementary schools – Pathshalas, Maktabs and
Madrasas for higher education.
The education provided in such institutions were based on
old texts like Vedas and their commentaries.
Such education was not considered to be up to date
because Vedas, the basis of such education did not kept
pace with the world.
2
3. Effects on Education under
East India Company
Due to colonization of India, Education system suffered
because the company had stopped giving institutions
grants which were earlier given to the institutions by
Indian Rulers.
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4. Introduction of Western Education
Introduction of Western Education in India was led by
following causes :
East India Company
Christian Missionaries
4
5. Introduction of Western Education –
East India Company
English East India Company showed a very little interest in
promotion of education in India
The Only purpose of setting up some educational
institutions in India was to ensure a steady supply of
Indians to law courts set up by the Company. Indian’s
knowledge of classical languages was used to establish
correspondence with the native states by East India
Company officials.
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7. The Calcutta Madrasa
Set up in/at: 1781 / Calcutta
Set up by : Warren Hastings
Purpose : For the study of Muslim law and related
subjects
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8. Sanskrit College
Set up in/at : 1791 / Benaras
Set up by : Jonathan Duncan
Purpose : For the study of Hindu Law and philosophy
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9. Fort William College
Set up in/at : 1800 / Calcutta
Set up by : Lord Wellesley
Purpose : For the training of the civil servants of the
company in languages and customs of Indians.
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10. Introduction of Western Education –
Christian Missionaries
Activities of Christian Missionaries compelled British to promote
Western Education in India.
Main English Missionaries :
Charles Grant
William Wilberforce
Christian Missionaries wanted to promote Western Education in
India because they thought that modern education would
destroy the faith of the Indians for the own religions and they
would follow Christianity.
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11. Charles Grant
Charles Grant is considered as
the father of modern education
in India
He is known so because of his
efforts that the Charter Act of
1813 came into existence. This
acts promotes the modern
education in India as it sanctions
about one lakh rupees for
education.
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12. Charter Act of 1813
This act was the first step taken by British
rulers for the purpose of educational
development in India.
Under this act, one lakh rupees were
sanctioned to promote education in India.
However, this act had failed.
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13. Failure of Charter Act of 1813
The Charter Act had failed because of following reasons:
It failed to state the language for medium of instruction for
educational institutes.
It was also ambiguous about the means of expanding
English education in India.
It was not stated that education should be given to all or a
selected few.
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14. Orientalists and Anglicists Debate
Orientalists and Anglicist Debate was a debate between
Orientalists and Anglicists due to the issue of language for the
medium of instructions in India
Orientalists : People who wanted to promote education in India
through the medium of classical languages such as Sanskrit, Persian
and Arabic.
Anglicists : People who wanted to promote Western Education in
India which supported English as a medium of instruction.
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15. Preferences of Educated Indians
Enlightened Indians such as Raja
Rammohan Roy exerted
pressure on Western Education
because they thought that
western education was the only
remedy for the social, economic
and political ills of the country.
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16. Macaulay’s system of education
This system of education
was introduced by Lord
Macaulay in 1835.
This system put Anglicists
Orientalists Debate to an
end.
This system is also known
as Lord Macaulay’s
Minute.
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17. Macaulay’s system of education –
Main Provisions
This system clearly stated that Western Education has to be
promoted in India through the medium of English
language alone.
Under this system, Persian was abolished as the court
language. On its place, English language was made the
court language.
Under this system, the printing of English books was made
free and these were widely available in markets at very low
prices. This increased use of English in India
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18. Macaulay’s system of education –
Implementation
For the implementation of this system in India following
steps were taken by the government:
Forty two schools were set up by 1842.
The presidencies were divided into educational zones. Each
educational zone had one government school.
For example: Bengal was divided into nine educational
zones under Lord Auckland.
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19. Wood’s Despatch
This was a written document for the
propose of promoting education in
India.
This was introduced by Charles
Wood in 1854.
It was the first comprehensive plan
for the spread of education in India.
It was considered as the ‘Magna
Carta of English education in India’
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20. Wood’s Despatch –
Main Provisions
It asked the government of India to provide education to all
Indians not to the selected few.
Graded schools were established in hierarchy as
Universities
Colleges
High Schools
Middle Schools
Primary Schools
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21. Wood’s Despatch –
Main Provisions
English was recommended as the medium of instruction
for higher studies and Indian local languages at school
level.
Emphasis was given on female and vocational education
and on teachers’ training.
Education imparted in the government institutions was to
be secular.
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22. Wood’s Despatch –
Main Provisions
A system of grants-in-aid was recommended for the
institutions that satisfied certain conditions to encourage
private enterprise.
Universities were to be set up at Calcutta, Madras and
Bombay.
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23. Wood’s Despatch –
Implementation
Graded schools were set up as written in the document.
The educational institutes were run by European
Headmasters and Principals.
Missionary enterprises played their own role.
In 1857, Universities in all the three presidencies were set
up.
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24. Education after 1858
After the revolt of 1857, many changes took place in the whole
country. As a result of the revolt, education system was also
adversely affected.
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25. Hunter Commission
Hunter Commission was a commission appointed by the
British Government to review the progress of education in
the country since the Wood’s Despatch of 1854.
Hunter Commission was set up in 1882 under the
chairmanship of W W Hunter.
This commission emphasized its recommendations on
primary and secondary education
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26. Raleigh Commission
It was a commission appointed by the British government
to suggest measures to improve the conditions of Indian
Universities.
It was set up in 1902.
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27. Indian Universities Act
This act was passed in 1904 under Lord Curzon.
This act was based on the recommendations of the Raleigh
Commission.
People of India condemned for this act because
It increased the government’s control over the universities.
They saw it as an attempt to restrict education and to
discipline the educated to show loyalty to the government
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28. Mahatma Gandhi’s & INC’s views
about western education
Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress
thought that western education had created a gulf between
the educated few and the masses of uneducated.
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29. Wardha scheme of education
This was a scheme of basic education introduced by Zakir
Husain Committee in October 1937 in Wardha
(Maharashtra).
The main principle behind this scheme was learning
through activity.
It was based on Gandhian ideas published in a series of
articles in the weekly magazine Harijan.
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30. British’s Education Policies –
Limitations
Englishmen educated Indians just for the supply of Indians
in their offices. Their main aim was not to educate Indians.
This led to a wide linguistic and cultural gulf between
educated few and masses of uneducated Indians.
British Policies of Education declined the traditional
system of Indian Education.
Women Education was neglected under the British
Educational policies.
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31. British’s Education Policies –
Limitations
British followed the Downward Filtration Theory
which was never practical.
There was no sort of scientific or technological
education for the Indian under British Rule.
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32. National Education –
Growth
During the first quarter of the twentieth century, Indian
nationalist leaders formed a National Council of
Education to make out a strategy for imparting
education to all sections of the country.
Under this strategy, a number of national schools,
colleges and universities were set up.
We will discuss here a few of them :
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33. National Muslim University
Set up in/at : 1875/ Aligarh (UP)
(earlier known as Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College)
Set up by : Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
This University was patterned after Oxford and Cambridge
Universities.
This university tuned with the British Educational system
without compromising with Islamic values
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34. National Muslim University
Sir Syed visualized this national university as
he felt the need of Muslims to get modern
education and become involved with the
public life and governmental services of India
In 1907, a school for girls was established in it.
In 1920, It was changed from Muhammadan
Anglo-Oriental College ( MAO ) to National
Muslim University.
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35. National Muslim University
In 1927, a school for blinds was
established in this university.
By 1930s , this university had
developed engineering faculty also.
The first chancellor of the university
was a lady, Sultan Shah Jahan
Begum.
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37. Baroda University
Set up in/at : 1908 / Baroda (Gujarat)
Set up by: Dr. Jackson
It was earlier Baroda College.
Dr Jackson wanted establishment of a science institute at
Baroda on an improved and independent basis.
Dr Jackson was principal of Baroda College in 1908.
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38. Baroda University
In 1916 and later in 1919 again, review
committees recommended setting up a
university at Baroda
In 1926, Baroda University Commission was
appointed which submitted its report in 1929.
Baroda University was finally approved by the
legislature assembly in 1949.
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41. New English School
Set up in/at : 1880s / Benaras
Set up by : Sri Bal Gangadhar Tilak
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42. National Council of Education
Set up in/at : 1906 / Calcutta
Set up by : Aurobindo Ghosh
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43. Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey
Women's University (SNDT)
It was the first women university of India.
Set up in/at : 1916 / Poona
Set up by : D K Karve
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44. Pandita Ramabai
She had an important contribution
towards encouraging women education
in the country.
She set up Arya Mahila Samaj in Poona.
She set up Sharda Sadan, a school for
widows in Bombay.
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45. Rokeya Sakhawat Husain
She was an important lady
socio-religious reformers of
India.
She began her work with
setting up a school for girls in
Kolkata in 1910
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46. FAQs
List reasons why British neglected education for
Indians.
Ans. –
According to the British, by getting the education Indians
could stand against the British Rule.
They thought that if Indians would become educated they
could get equal rights and positions as them in the society
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47. List merits and demerits of introduction of western
education in India.
Ans. –
Merits -
Western Education was the remedy for the social, economical
and political ills of the nation.
Western Education gave people of the nation the right to avail
governmental services.
Demerits –
Introduction of Western Education in India neglected mass
education in the country.
Western Education could destroy the faith of Indians in their
own religions.
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48. Glossary
Gurukul – A place where Indians imparted education before the
British rule over India.
Maktabs – A place where a large number of Muslims imparted
education before the arrival of British in India.
Madrasa – School
Vedas – Old text books which were the basis of Indigenous Education
System before the arrival of British.
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49. Glossary
Classical Languages – The languages which were traditionally in
use in India such as Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian.
Christian Missionaries – They were those Englishmen came from
Europe to promote Christianity in India. Charles Grant and William
Wilberforce were two important Christian Missionaries.
Harijan – A weekly magazine which was responsible for promoting
Gandhian principles in masses. It was published under the guidance of
Mahatma Gandhi.
Vernacular languages – Indian classical languages.
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