Page 32 - DEDU501_DEVELOPMENT_OF_EDUCATION_SYSTEM_ENGLISH

Development of Education System

Notes vernacular language was no less emphasised as Wood believed that through the mediums of
vernacular language, European knowledge could reach to the masses.

3.3.2 Main Recommendations of Wood’s Despatch
(i) Government’s acceptance of educational responsibility: The Despatch for the first time
clearly accepted that the responsibility of education in India lies on British Government.
(ii) Aims of education: The Despatch defined the aim of education keeping in view the
interests of Indians and British rule. Education is to raise intellectual fitness and moral
character of Indians. At the same time, it was to prepare them to become supporters of
British rule in India.
(iii) Oriental languages: The Despatch 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.
(iv) Medium of instruction: The Despatch 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.
(v) Establishment of Education Department: The Despatch directed that the Department of
Public Instruction should be established in every province. This department was to
inspect schools and to guide teachers.

Famous educationist Pranjepe vehemently criticised Wood’s Despatch. According to
him, the despatc miserably failed to provide proper leadership and remove red-
tapism in the direction of control of education in India.

3.3.3 Education Policy According Wood’s Despatch

“Among many subject of importance, once can have a stronger claim to our attention than that of
education. It is one of our most sacred duties, to be the means, as far as in us lies, of conferring upon
the natives of India those vast moral and material blessing which flow from the general diffusion of
useful knowledge and which India may, under Providence, derive form her connection with England.
We have, moreover, always looked upon the encouragement of education as peculiarly important,
because calculated “not only to produce a higher degree of intellectual fitness, but to raise the moral
character of those who partake of its advantage, and so to supply you with servants to whose
probity you may with increased confidence commit offices of trust...”.
3.3.4 Aim of Education
The Despatch said that the aim of education should be to impart useful knowledge to the Indian
students in such a way as to rais their intellectual, moral and economic status. They should alsio be
given such an education which might develop in them administrative ability in order that the
Government might get efficient workers.
3.3.5 Objectives of Wood’s Despatch
The despatch had the following objectives of education :
1. To enable the natives of India to have those vast and material blessings which flow form
the general diffusion of Western knowledge.
2. To produce high degree of intellectual fitness and also to raise the moral character of
those who partake of the above advantages;

26 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY