| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

Woods Despatch

Page history last edited by Mohit Puri 14 years, 10 months ago

3.1 OBJECTIVES

After reading this Unit you will be able to:

·                    Understand the meaning and concept of Wood’s Despatch.

·                    Understand the contribution of Wood’s Despatch in Indian Education.

·                    Know the growth of national consciousness;

3.2 INTRODUCTION

The origin of the present system of education which is prevalent in this country today can be traced to the beginning of the nineteenth century when a controversy had been raging over the issue whether oriental learning and science should be spread through the medium of Sanskrit, Arabic or Persian or Western sciences and literature be spread through English as the medium of instruction. The Government conducted surveys of the then prevalent systems of education with a view to re-organising education to suit the needs of the times. Consequent on Macaulay's Minute regarding the educational policy of the future, Lord William Bentick's Government issued a communique wherein it was stated " that the great object of the British Government ought to be the promotion of European literature and science among the natives of India; and that all the funds appropriated for the purpose of education alone". The Government Resolution, however, stated that provision should be made for the continuance of schools and colleges where indigenous learning was being imparted. 

By 1853 a number of problems concerning education in the country had risen which required immediate solution. As a result of an inquiry made by the Government, Sir Charles Wood, the then Secretary of state, sent a despatch popularly known as Wood's Despatch to the Court of the Directors of the East India Company in 1854. The despatch enunciated the aim of education as the diffusion of the Arts, Science, Philosophy and Literature of Europe. It laid down that the study of Indian languages was to be encouraged and that the English language should be taught wherever there was demand for it, and that both English and the Indian Languages were to be regarded the media for the diffusion of European knowledge; a scheme to establish universities was to be formulated, whose functions were to hold examinations and corder degrees. The despatch also recommended that a number of high schools should-be set up4. This eventually led to the establishment in the country of the first three universities in 1857.

window.google_render_ad(); Wood's Education Despatch formed the basis of the education policy of east india company's government in India since 1854. Drafted probably at the instance of Sir Charles Wood, President of the board of control, it was forwarded to the Government of India as Despatch No 49 of 19 July 1854 for 'creating a properly articulated system of education, from the primary school to the University'. The renewal of the Company's Charter in 1853 provided the occasion for the despatch. As usual, a Select Committee of the House of Commons held a very thorough enquiry into educational situation in India. Often described as the 'Magna Carta of modern education in India', the despatch was one of the wisest state papers prepared by the court of directors. It was indeed a landmark in the history of education in modern India and presented a comprehensive plan for the later development of the educational system in the subcontinent.

Consisting of a hundred paragraphs the document dealt with several issues of great educational importance. Accepting 'the improvement and far wider extension of education both English and vernacular' as the 'sacred duty' of the Government of India the despatch recommend the following measures for the realisation of the desired aims: (1) the establishment of a separate department of education for its administration; (2) the foundation of universities at the three Presidency towns; (3) the establishment of institutions for training of teachers for all types of schools; (4) the maintenance of the existing government colleges and high schools and establishment of new ones if and when necessary; (5) the establishment of new middle schools; (6) greater attention to vernacular schools, indigenous and others, for expansion of elementary education and (7) the introduction of a system of grants-in aid to help support a rising number of privately managed educational institutions.

The despatch drew special attention of the government 'to the importance of placing the means of acquiring useful and practical knowledge within reach of the great mass of the people'. English was to be the medium of instruction in the higher branches, and the vernacular in the lower. English was to be taught wherever there was a demand for it, but it was not to be substituted for the vernacular. The system of grants-in-aid was to be based on the principle of perfect religious neutrality. A properly graded system of scholarships was to be introduced and female education was to receive the frank and cordial support of the government.

The despatch concluded with the comment that in course of time, government institutions, especially those of the higher order, might safely be closed, or transferred to the management of local bodies under the control of, and aided by, the state. On the basis of these recommendations the new system of education in India gradually evolved. No doubt, with the progress of time the system underwent changes, but the original blue-print was framed by the Despatch of 1854.

3.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF WOOD’S DESPATCH

1.      To confer upon the natives of India those vast and material blessings which flow from the general diffusion of western knowledge.

2.       To raise the moral character.

3.      To provide the East India Company with educated, reliable and capable public servants.

4.      To secure for U. K a large and assumed supply of many articles necessary for her manufacturers.

5.      To make people of India familiar with the works of European authors.

Main Recommendations of Wood’s Despatch:

1.      Government’s acceptance of educational responsibility: The Despatch for the first time clearly accepted that the responsibility of education in India lies on British Government.

2.      Aims of education: The Despatch defined the aim of education keeping in view the interests of Indians and British rule. Education is to raise intellectual fitness and moral character of Indians. At the same time, it was to prepare them to become supporters of British rule in India.

3.      Oriental languages: The Despatch emphasized the importance of Oriental languages. Mr. Wood had recognized the usefulness of Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian and recommended them as subjects of study in regular institutions. Like Macaulay, he also recognized the usefulness of western knowledge for Indians.

4.       Medium of instruction: The Despatch recommended that owing to the shortage of books in Indian languages, the medium of instruction should be English. But English should be needed for those people who have proper knowledge and taste for English and are able to understand European knowledge through this language. For other Indian languages should be used.

5.      Establishment of Education Department: The Despatch directed that the Department of Public Instruction should be established in every province. This department was to inspect schools and to guide teachers.

6.      Establishment of Universities: The Despatch recommended the establishment of Universities in Presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras, and if necessary at other places also.

7.      Establishment of graded schools: The Despatch recommended that there should be graded schools all over the country as follows:

 

Universities

 

Colleges

 

 

High Schools

 

 

Middle Schools

 

Primary Schools

 

         

8.      Expansion of mass education: The Despatch admitted that mass education has been totally neglected. Therefore, the Despatch directed that useful and practical knowledge should be conveyed to masses. To achieve this purpose, the Despatch recommended the establishment of increased number of High Schools, Middle Schools and Primary Schools. The indigenous primary schools were regarded as the foundation upon which the superstructure of education could be constructed.

9.      Grant-in-aid System: The Despatch proposed the sanction of grant-in-aid to the Indian educational institutions for increase in teacher’s salaries, scholarships, libraries, construction of building etc.

                      Following types of educational institutions were declared eligible for grants:

                                                        i.      Institutions following the rules and regulations enforced by the government and which were prepared to get them inspected by government inspectors.

                                                      ii.      Institutions run very well by private institutions.

                                                    iii.      Institutions free from the communal feelings and not observing distinction of caste, community and creed.

                                                     iv.      Institutions charging fees from the students.

10. Training of Teachers: Without proper training, teachers would not be able to teach well. The Despatch recommended the need for establishing different types of training institutions.

11. Education of women: In Wood’s Despatch, much emphasis was given upon women education. The Despatch recommended that the education ladder would be incomplete without women education. It appreciated the work of enlightened Indians engaged in this sacred job.

12. Muslim Education: Concerning Muslim Education, Mr. Wood found that Muslims in this country were educationally backward and hence they should be encouraged to gain more education and efforts should be made in this direction.

13. Vocational Education: The Despatch pointed out the need of starting vocational schools and colleges for imparting instructions in different vocations. Vocational education may be considered as a necessity in order to prepare children for future life.

14. Education for Employment: The Despatch recommended that academically and highly qualified person should be preferred more than the others for Government services.

15. Policy of religious neutrality: The Despatch directed the company to follow a policy of religious neutrality. No man’s religion was to stand in the way of securing an appointment under the Government. Morever, no religious instruction should be imparted in educational institutions. They were to be exclusively secular.

3.4 Merits of Wood’s Despatch:

                   Following are the merits of Wood’s Despatch”

  1. Educational Policy: Through Wood’s Despatch, British Parliament, for the first time made an attempt to decide the educational policy of India and made it constitutional. Before this, there was no policy of education for Indians. Through this Despatch they decided for the first time their policy about education system in India.
  2. Educational Responsibility: This Despatch brought about a revolutionary change in the educational policy of the British Government. It declared that Indian education was the duty and responsibility of the British government.
  3. Importance of Indian literature and culture: The Despatch recognized the importance and utility of Indian literature, culture and knowledge. It recommended the inclusion of Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian language and literature in the curriculum along with the western knowledge.
  4. Indian languages as medium of instruction: Charles Wood also recognized Indian languages as the medium of instruction along with English.
  5. Department of Public Instruction: To run properly the education schemes of India, the Despatch suggested for setting up Department of Public Instruction in each province with the Director of Public Instruction, Deputy Directors etc. Thus it prepared an administrative set up for education.
  6. Establishment of Universities: Because of the recommendations of the Despatch universities were opened in Presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. Thus education got a good stride.
  7. Expansion of Mass Education: The Despatch took active steps for the encouragement and expansion of public education. By giving a universal character to education, the Despatch abolished the filtration theory. Thus education was not confined to higher class of people alone, instead its doors was opened for all.
  8. Solution of unemployment: Wood’s Despatch also paid attention to solve the problem of unemployment by encouraging vocational education. Arrangements for vocational education were made. Thus the public got an opportunity for becoming self-dependent.
  9. Training of teachers: The Despatch recommended the training of teachers.
  10. Responsibility of women education: The Despatch revived and recognized the need of development of women education as the duty and responsibility.

3.5 Demerits of Wood’s Despatch

1)     The Despatch set up the defective system of education. Education remained as a means for earning livelihood and not a means for obtaining knowledge.

2)     The pattern of proposed universities was purely foreign. The Despatch took the idea of London University for Indian universities. Thus the universities established on the basis of its recommendations became British in nature and spirit. They were not Indian in character.

3)     The Despatch gave priority to English. The government was spending the major portion or almost all the allotted money for the education in the development and extension of English schools.

4)     The main purpose of the Despatch was to spread western knowledge.

5)     Due to the recommendations of the Despatch, the Education Department was set up in each province and the education went under the direct mechanical control of the government.

6)     Actually speaking, there was no real vocational education as advocated by Despatch. It was proposed not in the interest of Indians but to create faithfulness toward British government.

7)     The Despatch had said that the government should follow a policy of secularism, but regarding the Christian missionaries the Despatch showed a soft corner.

3.6 Growth of National Consciousness

Following are some factors which contributed in the growth of national consciousness in India:

Development of Means of Transport and Communication

The British rulers established a wide network of roads and railways to promote their commercial interests and maintain a rigid administrative control over India. The railways proved to be a blessing for the country in as much as its various parts separated by rivers, hills and mountains were connected with one another and brought closer together.

Lines of communication knit together the vast country and its geographical unity became a tangible reality. It enabled educated Indians living in different parts of the country to come in contact with one another and discuss the problems facing the country as a whole. Development of roads and railways made it possible to mobilize public opinion on a national scale. Some of the educated young men went abroad and had the opportunity to study the working of the free and democratic institutions of Europe. It infused in them a new love for freedom and liberty. It was this feeling which inspired them to launch a movement for the liberation of the country.

Western Education

The British rulers introduced the teaching of the English language in schools and colleges to get a regular supply of clerks and babus to work in the administrative offices established by them. Knowledge of English proved to be a boon as the young men educated through the English medium were introduced to the liberal ideas of the West, such as freedom, democracy and nationalism. They were highly impressed by the teachings of Garibaldi, Mazzini, Rousseau, Thomas Paine and other liberal thinkers of the 19th century. Revolutionary ideas contained in the writings of these thinkers brought about social awareness and national consciousness among the educated Indians. In the words of Lord Ronaldshay, “The new wine of Western learning went into the heads of the young Indians. They drank deep from the source of liberty and nationalism. Their whole out look underwent a revolution. Influenced by these national and democratic ideas, Indian intelligentsia looked to the problems facing the country from an all-India angle.”

English proved to be a link language through which people living in widely separated regions began to communicate. It became a lingua franca of the country. Official and business correspondence began to be conducted through English. The knowledge of English was thus responsible for the unification of a vast country inhabited by people speaking different languages and dialects. Naturally, the first leaders of the national movement were those young men who had acquired an English education.

Economic Exploitation

With the establishment of British rule in India, the country’s economy was crippled. Indian handicrafts began to die out. India, which had won world-wide fame as an exporter of fine cloth, was turned into an importer of machine-made cloth and other factory goods from England Millions of craftsmen and artisans were thrown out of employment, resulting in poverty everywhere. With this change in the pattern of trade, every class of Indian society was adversely affected. In the words of Blunt, “the vice of Indian finance was that the Finance Minister of India looked more to the interests of Great Britain than to those of India.” A huge amount of money was drained off from India for the payment of salaries and pensions to British officers. Apart from this, millions of pounds were taken away by the British businessmen out of India through their import and export trade. Lord Salisbury, the Secretary of State, aptly said, “the British Rule was bleeding India white.” The net result of this exploitation was that the average income of an Indian fell below the level of subsistence. There were repeated famines which caused untold havoc. Each famine was followed by an epidemic which took a heavy toll of life. The Indian people became physically weak and morally crippled. Ruthless exploitation of the country’s resources made them miserable and brought about disaffection and resentment against an alien regime. [3]

Racial Pride of the British Rulers

The British rulers considered themselves to be racially superior to Indians and were proud of their complexion, blood and culture. They looked down upon Indians as uncivilised and dubbed them as ‘black people’ and hated to mix with them. Indians were not allowed to travel in the same railway compartments in which Englishmen travelled and were debarred from going to clubs and hotels visited by Englishmen. The Arms Act of Lord Lytton declared keeping of arms without licence a crime but the Europeans were made an exception. This discriminatory Act angered the Indians. Surendranath Banerjee aptly remarked, “the Arms Act imposed on us a badge of racial inferiority.” In the matter of justice, Europeans were given preferential treatment. While Englishmen were let off or lightly punished even for murders and brutalities committed by them, Indians were severely punished for minor offences. G.O. Trevelyan pointed out in 1864: “the testimony of a single one of our countrymen has more weight with the court than that of any number of Hindoos, a circumstance which puts a terrible instrument of power into the hands of an unscrupulous and grasping Englishman.” The policy of racial discrimination led to acute resentment among the educated Indians against the foreign rulers. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wrote, “there were two worlds: the world of the British officials and the world of India’s millions and there was nothing in common between them except a common dislike for each other.”

Discrimination in Services

In the early years of British rule in India, all important positions in the administration and army were held by Englishmen. Indians were distrusted and not assigned any position of trust and responsibility. In the later part of British rule, some Indians were given posts in lower grades in the services but preference for higher services was always given to men of British origin. A general notion prevailed among the British that Indians, howsoever qualified they might be, were inferior to Englishmen. Indians were mocked at as ‘drawers of water and hewers of wood.’ The Charter Act of 1833 and Queen Victoria’s Proclamation of 1858 had promised equality of opportunity in employment, but these well-intentioned pronouncements were never translated into action. Higher services remained the sole preserve of the Europeans. Garret rightly says, “the policy of excluding Indians from the higher ranks of services was responsible for arousing national spirit among the people of India.” In the army the Indians were deliberately excluded from the artillery section.

The bitter sense of discrimination by the British against the Indians came to the fore during the Viceroyalty of Lord Ripon. The Viceroy, who was a man of liberal views, was in favour of giving the Indian judges authority to hear cases against the Europeans. His law member, Mr. Iibert, drafted a bill which was to give Indian magistrates the right to try Europeans for criminal offences. The English opposed the Bill vehemently.

Lord Ripon bowed before the storm of opposition and amended the Bill. The European offenders were given the right to demand trial by Jury. Half the jurors had to be Europeans. The Bill failed in ending discrimination, which it aimed to do, as Indians were not given a similar privilege. The Iibert Bill controversy exercised a crucial influence on the growth of nationalism. S.N. Banerji rightly remarked, “No self-respecting Indian could sit idle under the fierce light of that revelation. It was a call to that high patriotic duty of those who understood its significance.” Lord Salisbury rightly described the British pledges to Indians as political hypocrisy. [5]

Reform Movements

The second half of the 19th century was a period of Indian awakening and reformation. The Brahmo Samaj, the Ramakrishna Mission, the Arya Samaj, the Theosophical Society and many socio-religious movements not only fought against social evils but also generated confidence and national pride in the people who had sunk down to the lowest level of social and moral degradation. These movements reminded the people of the excellence and greatness of their cultural heritage. Swami Vivekananda, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Mrs Annie Besant, Mahadev Govind Ranade and many other social reformers aroused in them an urge for freedom. They proved by the force of their arguments that Indian culture was superior to that of the West and there was no reason for Indians to be cowed down by the westerners. They gave people a new sense of self-respect and a new pride in the past and these in the long run proved to be important factors in building up a new India. Swami Dayanand Saraswati, the founder of the Arya Samaj, gave the slogan, “India for the Indians”. In the words of Sarkar and Datta, “the religious and social reformers of the 19th century in India impressed upon the minds of the people the greatness of the ancient thought of their country and thus served to awaken in them a keen desire for national regeneration on the basis of the best in the past.”

The Vernacular Press

The Vernacular Press was the chief instrument through which the nationalists spread the message of patriotism and modern economic, social and political ideas and created an all-India consciousness.

During the second half of the nineteenth century, a number of newspapers, journals, magazines and books appeared in Indian languages, which criticised British administration and pointed out its defects. In 1877, there were as many as 62 newspapers appearing in Indian languages. The total circulation of these papers was calculated as 1,00,000. The Vernacular Press Act of Lord Lytton in 1878 laid down that the editors of the vernacular newspapers were to sign a bond to publish nothing that would create feelings of dissatisfaction against the government. But the English language press was kept outside its purview. This discriminatory and repressive measure of Lord Lytton inflamed the feelings of bitterness among the Indians against the British. In spite of all the restrictions, the Indian Press continued to criticise the British administration and espoused the national cause. The Vernacular Press Act was withdrawn by Lord Ripon in 1882. Steadily and silently, Indian newspapers infused a spirit of patriotism and nationalism in the people and provided a direction to the national struggle for emancipation.

Many Indian writers brought out books based on patriotism. Bankim Chandra’s famous book ‘Anand Math’, the Bible of modern Bengali patriotism, provided very great inspiration to the people. Vande Mataram, the national song of India was adopted from this very book. Rabindranath Tagore in Bengali, Lakshminath Bezbarua in Assamese, Vishnu Shastri Chiplunkar in Marathi, Subramanya Bharati in Tamil, Bhartendu Harishchandra in Hindi, and Altaf Hussain Mali in Urdu were some of the nationalist writers of this period.

Rise of the Middle Class

By the end of the nineteenth century, a middle class comprising businessmen, industrialists and financiers came up. This class was keenly conscious of the fact that British rule was a great hindrance in the path of industrial progress and prosperity of the country. The Indian business community had to work against heavy odds. They had to carry on their business in competition with the most advanced industries of England. The British rulers were averse to the industrial development of the country and wanted to keep India merely a supplier of raw materials and a potential market for dumping goods manufactured in England. Severe checks were imposed on Indian industries. Almost every article of daily use like sewing needles, sewing and printing materials, soaps, cosmetics, etc., were imported from England.

The new industrial class of India realised to their dismay that they could not prosper under British rule. Forced by the circumstances, they joined the national movement and helped it with money. The role of the Indian bourgeoisie (middle class of businessmen and industrialists) was, thus, no less significant in the freedom struggle of India.

3.7 UNIT SUMMARY/POINTS TO REMEMBER

By 1853 a number of problems concerning education in the country had risen which required immediate solution. As a result of an inquiry made by the Government, Sir Charles Wood, the then Secretary of state, sent a despatch popularly known as Wood's Despatch to the Court of the Directors of the East India Company in 1854. Wood's Education Despatch formed the basis of the education policy of east india company's government in India since 1854. The despatch drew special attention of the government 'to the importance of placing the means of acquiring useful and practical knowledge within reach of the great mass of the people'. English was to be the medium of instruction in the higher branches, and the vernacular in the lower. This Despatch gave many recommendations, on the basis of these recommendations the new system of education in India gradually evolved. No doubt, with the progress of time the system underwent changes, but the original blue-print was framed by the Despatch of 1854. Despite many limitations the Despatch, it has contributed a lot to the organization and stabilization of the present Indian educational system.

 

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.