Wood's dispatch on educaton in 1854

Wood's dispatch on educaton in 1854 laid the fioundation on which the educational system has since developed. Various problems related to education in India had become one of the key concerns of the british government by 1853. In order to provide a solution, the secretary of state of that time sir Charles wood presented a dispatch to the directors of the british East India Company. The dispatch expressed that education in English as well as Indian languages should be enhanced and encouraged through out the nation. According to Charles Woods, the English institutions could serve as the useful model of education. In 1854, Wood prepared his comprehensive dispatch on the scheme of the future education in india. The dispatch came to be considered as the Magna Carta of English education in India. The scheme of education, as proposed by wood,s dispatch envisaged a co-ordinated system of education through out the country.

RECOMMMENDATIONS OF WOOD'S DESPATCH

The Wood's dispatch proposed several recommendations in order to improve the system of education. According the recommendations, it was declared that the aim of Government's policy was the promotion of the western education. In the dispatch he emphasized on the education of arts, science, philosophy and literature of Europe. In short, the propagation of the European knowledge was the motto of the wood's dispatch. According to the dispatch, for the higher education , the chief medium of instruction would be English. However, the significance of the vernacular language was no less emphasized as wood believed that through the mediums of vernacular language, European knowledge could reach to the masses. Wood's dispatch also proposed the setting up of several vernacular primary schools in the villages at the lowest stage. Moreover, there should be Anglo-Vernacular high schools and an affiliated college in the district level. Wood's  dispatch recommended a aystem of grants-in-aid to encourage and foster the private enterprise in the field of education. The grants-in-aid were conditional on the institution employing qualified teachers and maintaining proper standards of teaching.

UNIVERSITIES UNDER WOOD'S DESPATCH

Department of public instructions was set up under the charge of a director, in each of the five provinces of the company's territories. This department was entrusted with the charge of reviewing the progress of education in the province and submits an annual report to the government. Universities , based on the model of London universities, senate house, a chancellor, a vice chancellor and fellows, all were nominated by the Government of India. The universities were entitled to hold examinations and conferred degree. Moreover a university might set up professorship in various branches of learning. Wood's dispatch emphasized the importance of the vocational instruction and the needs for establishing technical schools and colleges. The wood's dispatch gave a cordial support for the promotion of the women education in india.

However the new scheme off education proposed by the wood's dispatch was merely an imitation of the English models. Almost all the proposals of the wood's dispatch were implemented. The department of public instructions were organized in 1855 and the earlier committee of public instruction and council of education was replaced. Three universities of Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai came into existence in the year 1857. Later mostly due to Bethune's effort , seprate girl's schools were setup and brought under the control of the government of india. Several grants-in-aid were also provided for the promotion of the women education.

The ideals and methods advocated in wood's dispatch had dominated the educational scenario of india for a protracted period of time. During this period india witnessed a period of complete westernization of the educational system. The western system of education gradually replaced the indigenous methods of education and learning. Most of the educational institutions during this time were run by the European teachers, who were the part of the education department of the government of india. The Missionary institutions played its own part and managed a number of institutions. Gradually private Indian effort appeared in the field of education.