Recommendations of Sir Charles Wood's Despatch in 1854:-
Recommendations of Sir Charles Wood's Despatch in 1854:-
Recommendations of Sir Charles Wood's Despatch in 1854:-
Although the Charter Act of 1813 provided for the allocation of a certain amount of money from the company's funds for the expansion of education among the Indian people, the government run by the East India Company did not accept education as a state responsibility in the true sense. As a result, although the amount of money allocated to the field of education gradually increased, the education system was not managed following any specific policy. It was Wood's Despatch that first gave a glimpse of a well-organized government education policy.
1. Aims and Objectives of Education:-
(i) The main aim of education in this country is to spread Western knowledge among the Indian people. This Western knowledge will be a blessing to the people of India.
(ii) Another aim of this education will be to help in the development of the intellect of the people of India along with the formation of their moral character.
(iii) This education will help the people of India to understand the results of labor and capital investment and to realize the economic importance of the country's natural resources. If this education develops, the company will get skilled and reliable workers from among the Indians in the future.
(iv) Another objective of education will be to develop the industry of England by collecting raw materials from India and to develop the mentality of the Indians in such a way that there will be an endless demand for the products produced in England in the Indian market.
2. Content of Education: -
Although Wood's Despatch acknowledges the importance of Oriental education, it is said that Oriental science and philosophy are full of innumerable errors. Therefore, instead of Oriental science and philosophy, Western art, science, philosophy and literature will be the content of education for the Indians.
3. Medium of Education and Language Education: -
Wood's Despatch gives very valuable instructions on the medium of education and language education. The Despatch specifically mentions instructions so that the Indian people can use both English and the native language in the practice of European knowledge and science.
4. Establishment of Education Department:-
Wood's Despatch recommended the establishment of a government education department in each of the five provinces of the company. The five provinces were - Bengal, Bombay, Madras, Punjab and North-Western Provinces. The recommendation further mentioned - the head of those education departments would be the Director of Public Instruction or DPI in short. A group of Inspectors would be appointed under him to assist the DPI. This department would submit an annual report to the provincial government on the progress of education in each province.
5. Establishment of Universities:-
The second proposal of Wood's Despatch highlighted the importance of establishing universities. It was said that those universities would be established on the model of the University of London. One university should be established in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. The management of those universities would be under the responsibility of a Chancellor and a Vice-Chancellor and a 'Senate' consisting of some government nominated members.
6. Formation of a tiered education system:-
Wood's Despatch recommended the formation of a tiered education system. This recommendation states that - Universities and their subordinate colleges will be at the top of the tiered education system. High school education or secondary education will be in the middle and primary education will be at the lowest level.
7. Criticism of the trickle-down policy:-
Wood's Despatch strongly criticized the trickle-down policy of education and instructed the government to take responsibility for promoting public education to a greater extent. In addition, although English was given priority as a medium in higher education, the necessity and importance of the mother tongue was recognized. It was recommended to take the help of the mother tongue along with English in the promotion and spread of Western knowledge and science.
8. Conditional financial aid system: -
Wood's Despatch recommends the introduction of the ''Grant-in aid'' system with conditions to encourage private schools. It is said that schools interested in receiving financial aid should comply with the following conditions -
(i) Secularism should be maintained in the school.
(ii) The school management committee should be elected according to the law.
(iii) The school should run its work as per the instructions of the school inspector.
(iv) The school should collect a small amount of salary from the students.
(v) The educational qualification, quality of education and results of teachers should be improved.
9. Teachers' training system: -
Charles Wood in his Despatch recommends the establishment of ‘normal schools’ for the proper training of teachers in this country and providing them with scholarships during their training.
10. Vocational education system:-
Wood's Despatch recommended the introduction of vocational education systems such as law, medicine, engineering and technology, along with general education.
11. Expansion of female education: -
According to Sir Charles Wood, female education has not been expanded in this country; whereas without the expansion of proper female education, the progress of public education is not possible. Therefore, Wood's despatch recommended the establishment of more girls' schools. It also mentioned the formulation of a separate curriculum suitable for the development of the character and personality of girls.
12. Education of minorities: -
By defeating the Muslim royal power, British rule was established in India. Therefore, the hatred of the English among the Muslim community in this country was strong. Due to this hatred, the Muslims did not show any interest in the education introduced by the English. As a result, they lagged far behind in terms of modern education. To improve this situation, Wood's despatch recommended the establishment of a separate education system for Muslims.
13. Textbook:-
In Wood's Despatch, instruction was given in the mother tongue at the primary level and partly at the secondary level. Western philosophy and science were selected as the subject of education in India. Therefore, in Wood's Despatch, the government was instructed to translate books on Western philosophy and science written in English into the vernacular to make them easily accessible to the students.
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