The recommendations of the Hunter Commission on secondary education.
The recommendations of the Hunter Commission on secondary education.
The recommendations of the Hunter Commission on secondary education.
On 3 February 1882, the then Viceroy Lord Ripon appointed Sir William Wilson Hunter, a member of his Executive Council, as the President and constituted the first Education Commission of India. The Hunter Commission was asked to make an inquiry into primary education and make recommendations on that matter; but since secondary education is dependent on primary education, the Commission made some recommendations on the reorganization of secondary education as well as primary education.
1. Secondary education and private efforts:-
(i) The responsibility of secondary education should be gradually entrusted to private authorities or organizations.
(ii) A large amount of government money should be spent for the improvement of secondary schools.
(iii) Private secondary schools should be given equal status as government secondary schools.
(iv) One model secondary school should be established in each district.
(v) Secondary schools should be established on government initiative for backward areas.
(vi) In order to ensure that more secondary schools are established through private efforts, the local management committees should be given the freedom to fix the salaries in their schools.
2. Introduction of Course A and Course B in the curriculum:-
The Commission recommended dividing the secondary education curriculum into two parts: Course A and Course B. Students in Course A would receive theoretical education in preparation for university entry. Students in Course B would receive practical or vocational education. However, all secondary school students would receive the same education up to the eighth grade. Then they would have the opportunity to take either Course A or Course B.
Students who took Course A would have to sit for the university entrance examination to get college education. The Commission had expected that most students would choose Course B, i.e. practical education. But in reality, this did not happen. Most students were attracted to Course A.
3. Recognition of mother tongue at lower secondary level:-
The commission recommended that English or mother tongue be adopted as the medium of instruction at lower secondary level, as per the wishes of the school authorities. But since the commission did not have any specific recommendation on what should be the medium of instruction at the secondary level, English was adopted as the medium of instruction there. As a result, it was not possible for any school to adopt mother tongue as the medium of instruction at the lower secondary level.
4. Teachers - Training:-
The commission realized the need for training for graduate teachers in secondary schools and recommended the government to take appropriate measures in this regard. The commission's recommendation said - No person can be appointed as a secondary school teacher if he does not have some experience in teaching. Before appointing a teacher, it is necessary to take an examination on pedagogy.
Evaluation of the Hunter Commission's recommendations on secondary education:-
Firstly: - As the commission recommended encouraging private initiatives in secondary education, the number of secondary schools in the country increased significantly in the next twenty years. The number of students increased considerably.
Secondly - As per the recommendations of the Commission, the government established model secondary schools in each district. Those schools continue to play the role of model schools even today.
Thirdly - By recommending the introduction of A Course and B Course at the secondary education level, the Commission wanted to create opportunities for practical work-based education along with traditional textbook education, which contained the seeds of the multifaceted secondary education of the present era. Therefore, it can be said that the recommendation of the Commission had considerable potential and foresight.
Fourthly - The policy of withdrawing government control from secondary education, which the Commission recommended, later created enthusiasm among the general public for secondary education in the country.
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