Dr. V.K.Maheshwari, M.A. (Socio, Phil) B.Sc. M. Ed, Ph.D.
Former Principal, K.L.D.A.V.(P.G) College, Roorkee, India
Mrs Sudha Rani Maheshwari, M.Sc (Zoology), B.Ed.
Former Principal,A.K.P.I.College, Roorkee, India
Wood‘s Dispatch is a very important educational document and holds a unique place in the history of Indian education. It placed the responsibility of education of the Indian people fully on the Company and stated quite explicitly that it must never be neglected. The Despatch gave new direction to education in India
HISTORICAL EVENTS LEADING TO THE DESPATCH
The East India Company had to renew its Charter after every twenty years. Accordingly while renewing the Charter in 1833 the British Parliament increased the sum of money to one million yearly from the Rs-100000 in 1813 to be sent on education in India. When the time for renewal came in 1853, education in India had come to suffer numerous problems. The directors of the company decided to lay down a definite policy for education in India. Therefore, it became necessary to make a comprehensive survey of the entire field of education. As such, a Selection Committee of the British Parliament was set up in order to institute an inquiry into the measures for their reforms. The Committee studied the issue thoroughly and reported that the question of the Indian education should not be ignored and its development will not be in any case harmful to the British Empire. The suggestions of the Committee were favorably considered by the Board of Directors. Sir Charles Wood was the president of the Board of Control. it is said that the Dispatch was written by the famous thinker John Stuart Mill, a clerk of the company at that time
Before renewing the Charter in 1853, the British Parliament constitutes a Selection Committee to inquiry into the Progress of education in India and suggests reform. The suggestions of the Committee were issued as a Charter of Education on July 19, 1854. Charles Wood was the president of the Board of Control. So this is known as Wood’s Dispatch of 1854
The East India Company had to renew its Charter after every twenty years. Before renewing the Charter in 1853, the British Parliament constitutes a Selection Committee to inquiry into the Progress of education in India and suggests reform. The suggestions of the Committee were issued as a Charter of Education on July 19, 1854 Charles Wood was the president of the Board of Control. So this is known as Wood’s Dispatch of 1854 Wood’s Education Dispatch 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 Dispatch 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 dispatch. As usual, a Select Committee of the House of Commons held a very thorough inquiry into educational situation in India. Often described as the ‘Magna Carta of modern education in India’, the dispatch 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.
Aims and Objectives of Educational Policy:
Wood‘s Dispatch is a long document of 100 paragraphs and deals with the various aspects of great educational importance.
The Dispatch first throws light on the aims and objectives of educational policy of the Company in India. It gave highest priority to the responsibility of Indian Education and other responsibilities of the Company. The Dispatch had the following objectives in view:
a) To impart Western knowledge and information about the western culture to the Indians
b) To make people of India familiar with the works of European authors
c) To educate the natives of India so that a class of public servants could be created
d) To promote intellectual development and also raise the moral character of the young generation
e) To develop practical and vocational skills of the Indians people so that more and more articles could be produced and also to create a good market for consumption of those goods
Recommendations of the Wood’s Dispatch
Department of Education:
The Wood‘s Dispatch, for the first time, recommended the creation of a Department of Public Instruction (D.P.I.) in each of the five provinces of Bengal, Bombay, Madras, the Punjab and the North Western provinces. The head of the Department would be called the Director and he was to be assisted by a number of inspectors. The D.P.I. had to submit an annual report to the government about the educational progress in his province.
Expansion of Mass Education: : The Dispatch admitted that mass education has been totally neglected. Therefore, the Dispatch directed that useful and practical knowledge should be conveyed to masses. To achieve this purpose, the Dispatch 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.. The downward filtration Theory as proposed earlier was discarded and in its place importance to primary education was given. Elementary education was considered to be the foundation of the education system
.
Establishment of Universities: – - The Dispatch recommended the establishment of universities in the three Presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. The universities were to be modeled after the London University and these were to have a senate comprising of a Chancellor, a Vice-Chancellor, and fellows who were nominated by the Government. The Universities would confer degrees to the successful candidates after passing the examinations, (of Science or Arts Streams) conducted by the Senate. The universities were to organize departments not only of English but also of Arabic, Sanskrit and Persian, as well as law and civil engineering.
Training of Teachers: -
Wood‘s Dispatch recommended the establishment of teacher training schools in each of the provinces. There should be training schools for teachers of engineering, medicine and law. The qualified teachers should be given better pay scales. The Dispatch further emphasized on the provision of scholarships to the teachers during their training period.
Professional Education: -
Wood‘s Dispatch encouraged professional education. It recommended the establishment of medical, engineering law and other institutes of professional education. The Dispatch stated that in order to develop vocational efficiency of people and to make people realize that the British rule was progressive. Another reason for the encouragement of vocational education was to control the problem of unemployment.
Introduction of network of Graded Schools all over India: -
The Dispatch recommended that there should be graded schools all over the country as follows:
Universities
Colleges
High Schools
Middle Schools
Primary Schools
Wood‘s Dispatch recommended the establishment of a network of graded schools all over the country. At one end were the universities and the colleges, then the high schools followed by the middle schools and the bottom of the middle schools and at the bottom of the network were the primary schools, both government and indigenous. Both the Anglo-vernacular and vernacular schools were to be included in the same class. This system was recommended in order to enable an individual to receive higher education after completing the different levels of schools education
Grant in-aid system: – The Wood’s Dispatch recommended the sanction of a grant-in-aid system in the Indian educational system. To educate the large number of people of India was a difficult task and so the grant-in-aid system was adopted by the government. Grants were given to those schools and colleges which satisfied the conditions given below :-
a) The schools must provide secular education.
b) The school management should run the school well.
c) The school should agree to state inspection from time to time.
d) The schools should follow any rule prescribed by the government for the regulation of the grant.
e) The school must charge fees from the students.
Grants were given to the schools for increasing the salaries teachers, construction of school buildings, granting scholarships to students, improving conditions of literates, opening of science department etc.
Teaching of Language: – The Dispatch 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. The Wood’s Dispatch gave importance to teaching of English, but at the same time, it also stressed on the teaching of Indian languages. The Dispatch realized that any acquaintance of European knowledge could be communicated to the common people and that could be conveyed to them only through learning their own mother tongue. Therefore the Dispatch clearly stated that Indian languages as well as English should be used as media of instruction.
Education of Women: -: In Wood’s Dispatch, much emphasis was given upon women education. The Dispatch recommended that the education ladder would be incomplete without women education. It appreciated the work of enlightened Indians engaged in this sacred job The Dispatch recommended that the government should always support education for women. The wood’s Dispatch stated, “The importance of female education in India cannot be over rated; and we have observed with pleasure the evidence which is now afforded of an increased desire on the part of many of the natives of India to give a good education to their daughters. By this means a far greater proportional impulse is imparted to the educational and moral tone of the people than by the education of men”. The Despatch also encouraged the private enterprises to promote women education. The schools for girls were to be included among those to which grants-in-aid would be given.
Medium of instruction: The Dispatch 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.
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.
Vocational Education: The Dispatch 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.
Education for Employment: The Dispatch recommended that academically and highly qualified person should be preferred more than the others for Government services.
Policy of religious neutrality: The Dispatch 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. Moreover no religious instruction should be imparted in educational institutions. They were to be exclusively secular.
Merits of Wood’s Dispatch:
Educational Policy: Through Wood’s Dispatch, 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 Dispatch they decided for the first time their policy about education system in India. Wood‘s Dispatch started a new era in Indian education system by clearly defining objectives of education. It made the Government realize the importance of education for the people and presented a comprehensive scheme of education embracing primary, secondary and higher education.
Grant-in-aid system: By the grant-in-aid system many schools were benefited, the quality of education improved, and private organisations were encouraged to open new schools.
Educational Responsibility: This Dispatch 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. The Dispatch recommended scholarship for the poor and deserving students.
Importance of Indian literature and culture: The Dispatch 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.
Indian languages as medium of instruction: Charles Wood also recognized Indian languages as the medium of instruction along with English. Wood‘s Dispatch encouraged Language teaching. As a result, regional languages and classical languages were taught in the schools.
Department of Public Instruction: It recommended the creation of a separate Department of Public Instruction in five provinces and appointment of a Director to head the Department To run properly the education schemes of India, the Dispatch 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.
Establishment of Universities: The Dispatch encouraged higher education by recommending the establishment of universities in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras and emphasized on the necessity of vocational education. Thus education got a good stride.
Expansion of Mass Education: The principle of Downward Filtration Theory was discarded by the Wood‘s Dispatch and it encouraged the promotion of mass education. It recommended the establishment of indigenous schools. By giving a universal character to education, the Dispatch abolished the filtration theory. Thus education was not confined to higher class of people alone, instead its doors was opened for all.
Solution of unemployment: Wood’s Dispatch 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.
Training of teachers: The Dispatch recommended the training of teachers The Despatch recommended the importance of establishing teacher-training institutes to improve the quality of teachers and their conditions of salaries.
Responsibility of women education: The Dispatch revived and recognized the need of development of women education as the duty and responsibility.
Demerits of Wood’s Dispatch
Wood‘s Dispatch could not remove the imbalance in Indian education system. The rich people sent their children to English medium schools, and the government gradually stopped financial aid to the indigenous schools and so the existence of these schools became jeopardized. It failed to develop character initiative and leadership among students.
The Dispatch, in reality promoted Western literature and knowledge and government offices showed preferences for persons educated in English. The education planning and management schemes remained only in black and white.
The system of grant-in-aid did not operate in proper sense, i.e., there was always the paucity of funds, the irregularity of their release and biased attitude towards the privately managed schools.
It neglected general education. Only the privileged class received education.
Indigenous schools remained neglected. Priority was given to people educated on English pattern with regard to government posts. M. R. Paranjpe stated that, ―the authors did not aim at education for leadership, education for the industrial regeneration of India, education for the defense of the motherland, in short, education required by the people of a self- governing nation.
Departments of Education were opened in the five provinces but they could not promote the real interest of education
The Dispatch had said that the government should follow a policy of secularism, but regarding the Christian missionaries the Dispatch showed a soft corner
The Wood‘s Dispatch had a partial attitude towards the Christian missionaries; Christian religious books were easily made available to the students, in the libraries.
The three universities were modeled on the London University and the Government‘s policy of nominating members to the senate was biased. Therefore higher education was not related to Indian conditions
The Dispatch succeeded in only producing a class of clerks and accountants.
In conclusion it has been observed that however, it must be noted that in spite of all the limitations, the Wood’s Dispatch was recognized as the Magna Carta of Indian Education.’ The objective of the Dispatch was very sincere but the government could not implement the various suggestions and recommendations. The main provisions of the document were of great historical importance. It provided a boost to secondary education and to some extent to primary education also. It was however observed that some of the most important recommendations of the Dispatch were not carried out for a long time and some were given effect in a distorted form. During the first thirty years after the Dispatch, government institutions gradually increased and beside the Christian Missionaries other private enterprise were not encouraged.
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 dispatch recommend the following measures for the realization 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 dispatch 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 dispatch 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 system underwent changes, but the original blue-print was framed by the Dispatch of 1854.