Development of education and Press

• The modern education system began in India under British rule. Prior to the arrival of the British, India had its own educational system based on. Gurukulas. The evolution of the press brought out changes in Indian society and aroused nationalist public opinion

Introduction

• Initially, the British East India Company showed little interest in the development of the education system, as their primary focus was on trade and profit-making.
•  For the first 60 years of their rule, the East India Company did not prioritize the education of the people under their governance in India.

The development of education under British rule can be analyzed in two distinct phases:

•  Development of education under the East India Company
•  Development of education under Crown rule

Development of Education Under the East India Company

• The East India Company implemented a few measures to promote and enhance education in India.

• Jonathan Duncan initiated the establishment of the Sanskrit College in Varanasi, focusing on the study of Hindu Law and Philosophy. In 1800, Wellesley founded Fort William College to train civil servants of the East India Company in Indian languages and customs.
• Enlightened Indians and missionaries began advocating for the government's support in promoting modern, secular, Western education. They believed that Western education could address the social, economic, and political challenges facing the country.
•  Some missionaries anticipated that modern education might lead Indians away from their native religions toward Christianity, while others, like the Serampore missionaries, actively supported the spread of education.

Education Under act of 1813

• Education Under the Act of 1813 saw influential English missionary activists like Charles Grant and William Wilberforce influencing the East India Company to abandon its non-intervention policy in education. 
• The 1813 Charter, for the first time, mandated that the Governor-General in council allocate a sum not less than 1 lakh for education, but the company primarily used this fund to promote Indian languages and literature.
• In 1817, Calcutta College was established with the efforts of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, aiming to impart Western education. Additionally, three Sanskrit colleges were set up in Calcutta.

General Committee of Public Instruction in 1823

• The establishment of the General Committee of Public Instruction in 1823 marked a pivotal moment for the development of education in India. 

• However, mounting pressure from various quarters, both in England and India, prompted the East India Company to support Western education.

Orientalist-Anglicist Controversy

• The Orientalist-Anglicist Controversy was an ideological conflict during British colonial rule in India, centered around the organization of modern education. Orientalists, led by figures like Dr. HH Wilson and HT Prinsep, supported the continuation of existing institutions of Oriental learning and the promotion of the Indian classical tradition. 
• They advocated for Sanskrit, Arabic, and Persian as the mediums of education. Key initiatives in this direction included the establishment of the Calcutta Madrasa by Warren Hastings in 1781, the Benares Sanskrit College by Jonathan Duncan in 1791, and the founding of the Asiatic Society of Bengal by William Jones in 1784.
• Contrastingly, Anglicists, led by Charles Trevelyan and Mountstuart Elphinstone, advocated for providing Western education to natives through the English medium. Progressive Indians of the time, including Raja Ram Mohan Roy, supported the Anglicists. Lord Macaulay, a prominent Anglicist, played a crucial role in settling the debate in their favor with his famous minute known as Macaulay's Minute of 1835. Consequently, English became the mode of instruction in all schools, replacing Persian.

Role of Christian Missionaries in Indian Education

• The spread of modern education in India during the initial period was not solely the work of the British Government; Christian missionaries played a vital role in introducing Western education. 
• Between 1813 and 1833, missionaries initiated numerous primary schools, contributing significantly to the reorganization of education in India. The structure of modern schools was often modeled on missionary school systems.

Serampore Mission (1800-1845)

• The Serampore Mission marked India's inaugural Christian missionary organization, founded by Joshua Marshman, William Carey, and William Ward, collectively known as the Serampore Trio. Initially, the mission faced restrictions on preaching the biblical religion due to a ban imposed by the British East India Company Government.
• In 1812, the company lifted the ban, and subsequently, the mission played a pivotal role in various fields such as industry, literature, science, newspapers, periodicals, and social reforms. This contributed significantly to the cultural renaissance in the country.

• In practice, the outcomes differed for Christian Educational Missionaries in India. While instances of religious conversion occurred, Christian schools prioritized examination preparation over the time needed for spiritual and religious lessons.
• Additionally, Christian missionaries heavily relied on government funds to operate schools, and adherence to the prescribed curriculum was mandatory to receive these funds. The colonial government, mindful of social harmony and trade interests, did not actively encourage conversions.

Lord Macaulay's Minute (1835)

• On February 2, 1835, the British historian and administrator, Thomas Babington Macaulay, presented his 'Minute on Indian Education,' also known as the English Education Act of 1835. 

• Assigned to resolve the controversy, Macaulay's famous 1835 Minutes favored the Anglicist party, advocating for Western education through the medium of English. He proposed allocating one lakh for 'reviving literature in India' and promoting scientific knowledge among the inhabitants of British territories.
• Supporting the Downward Filtration Theory, Macaulay stated, "We must at present do our best to form a class of persons, Indian in blood and color, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect." His Minute decisively shaped the policy, medium, means, and aims of education in India.

• Macaulay's education policy, outlined in his Minutes, eventually marginalized vernacular languages and knowledge, establishing English as the dominant mode of instruction.

Contributions of the Europeans

• In 1791, Jonathan Duncan established the Sanskrit College to delve into Hindu law and philosophy.
• Warren Hastings founded the Calcutta Madrasah in 1781, focusing on laws related to Muslim jurisprudence and associated subjects.
• Lord Wellesley, on May 4, 1800, established Fort William College in Calcutta to train Civil Servants and acquaint them with Indian customs, language, and philosophy.
• JED Bethune founded Bethune School in Calcutta in 1849.
• The Agriculture Institute was established in Pusa, Bihar.
• An Engineering Institute was founded in Roorkee.

Wood's Despatch (1854)

• In 1854, Charles Wood formulated a despatch outlining an educational system for India, often referred to as the Magna Carta of Education. 
• Wood's scheme emphasized spreading Western education through the English medium for higher education, along with setting up vernacular primary schools in rural areas.
• Other recommendations included implementing a grants-in-aid system to encourage private enterprise's participation in education, establishing a department of public instruction in each of the five provinces, creating universities in Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras, instituting teacher training institutions, and promoting education for women.

Development of Education Under Crown Rule

• After the Revolt of 1857, the East India Company was abolished, ushering in Crown rule in India and leading to significant educational reforms.

The Hunter Education Commission (1882-83)

• The Hunter Education Commission (1882-83), formed in 1882, was tasked with reviewing the progress of education in the country since the Despatch of 1854.
• The Hunter Commission primarily focused on recommendations for primary and secondary education. Here are the key recommendations made by the commission:
  • Emphasized the need for the state's special attention to the extension and improvement of primary education, advocating that primary education should be conducted in vernacular languages.
• Recommended the transfer of control of primary education to newly established district and municipal boards.
• Proposed a two-division structure for secondary (High School) education:
  • Literary division leading to university education.
  • Vocational division catering to commercial careers.
  • Addressed the inadequate facilities for female education, especially outside presidency towns, and put forth recommendations for its expansion.

Indian University Act (1904)

• During Lord Curzon's tenure (1899-1905), education faced official restrictions, and individuals were encouraged to express loyalty to British rule.
• In 1902, a Raleigh Commission, headed by Sir Thomas Raleigh, was appointed to enhance the functioning and prospects of Indian Universities.
• The commission's recommendations resulted in the Indian Universities Act of 1904.
• Notable members of the Indian Universities Commission included Syed Hussain Belgrami and Gooroodas Banerjee.
• Key provisions of the