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Unit 3 : Education in India during British Period: Macaulay’s Minutes, Wood’s Despatch and Hunter Commission

William Adam was born in Scotland in (1789) and became a priest in (1815) in a Baptist Mission Notes
Society. In (1818) he reached Serampore and studied Bengali and Sanskrit. He came in contact
with Raja Ram Mohan Roy in Calcutta. They were influenced by each other. Adam was so
influenced that he broke all of his relations with Church in (1821). Adam studied believing in
one almighty in stead of Trinity.
Of Father, Son and holy soul of Christianity. Adam was appointed on 29th January (1835) by
William Bentinck as Commissioner to Survey the educational conditions of Bengal. Adam
submitted three reports during (1835) and (1938).

When the East India company embarked on its political conquests in India in
1757, there was no education system organised and supported by the State.
Gradually it was realised by the rulers to take interest in education.

Self Assessment
1. Fill in the blanks:
(i) ........................ was appointed law member in the Governor General’s Executive Council.
(ii) ........................ was actually a declaration of the acceptance of Macaulay’s views.
(iii) Macaulay’s Minutes gave a ......................... of educations.
(iv) According to Macaulay is much more useful than the classical languages like Sanskrit
and Arabic etc.

3.3 Wood’s Despatch on Education

Wood’s Despatch on Education in 1854 laid the foundation of Indian educational system and the
establishments of Universities in Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai.
Wood‘s Despatch on Education in 1854 laid the foundation 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 despatch to the directors of the British East India
Company. The despatch expressed that education in English as well as Indian local languages
should be enhanced and encouraged through out the nation. According to Charles Wood, the
English institutions could serve as the useful model for education. In 1854, Wood prepared his
comprehensive despatch on the scheme of the future education in India. The despatch came to
be considered as the Magna Carta of English education in India.

The Scheme of education, as proposed by Wood‘s Despatch, envisaged a co-ordinated
system of education through out the country.

3.3.1 Recommendations of Wood‘s Despatch

The Wood‘s despatch 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 his despatch he emphasised on the education of
art, science, philosophy and literature of Europe. In short, the propagation of the European
knowledge was the motto of the Wood‘s Despatch. According to the despatch, for the higher
education, the chief medium of instruction would be English. However, the significance of the

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