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Development of Education System

Notes The commission made that an effort should be made to encourage the private enterprise in the
field of education. The Commission to achieve this objective recommended the extension and
liberalization of the grants in aid system, recognition of the aided school as equal to Government
institutions in matters of status and the privileges. It was also declared by the Commission that
the Government should as early as possible withdrew from the direct management of the
secondary and the collegiate education. Moreover the education Commission drew attention to
the inadequate facilities for the female education outside the Presidency towns and also made
recommendations for its spread
India witnessed a rapid and unprecedented growth in the field of primary and secondary
education in the past twenty years. One of the principal impacts of this expansion was the
massive participation of the Indian Philanthropist in the system of education. A number of
denominational institutions sprang up in all parts of the country. Apart from the study of the
western literatures Indian and the oriental literatures were also given specials emphasis. Another
important development of the period was the development of the teaching cum examining
universities. The Punjabi University and the Allahabad University of superior rank developed
during this time.
In the first half of nineteenth centuries, political unrest grew up owing to the controversies
about the educational policies of the government. Political developments interrupted the
educational system of the country. The official report was that the educational expansions were
not carried on in the proper way and that the private interference had deteriorated the standard
of education. The nationalist opinion stated that the Government was not doing its duty to
reduce the illiteracy and also admitted the lowering standards of education.
Lord Curzon during his term of office tried to reorganize all branches of administration including
the system of education. Curzon justified the increase of official control over the education in
the name of efficiency and quality. However none of the recommendations of the Hunter
Commissions was fulfilled by the educational reforms of Curzon. His reforms actually sought
to restrict education and discipline the educate mind to the loyalty of the government.

The Commission is sometimes called as ‘Hunter Commission’ after the name of its
Chairman.

3.4.1 Aims of the Commission
The following were prescribed as the aims of the commission :
1. To assess the position of primary education and to give suggestions for its reforms.
2. The evaluate the work of the missionaries in the field of education.
3. To find out if the government institutions should be allowed to continue.
4. To assess the utility of the grant-in-aid system. To find out the attitude of the government
towards the private Indian enterprises in the field of education. To find out if they received
encouragement form the Government.
5. The main purpose of the Commission was to study the problem of primary education and
to suggest measures for its reforms. But the Commission also chose to look into the affairs
relating to secondary and higher education.
3.4.2 Recommendations of Commission (1882)
The main recommendations of the Commission were as under :
1. In the field of primary education, the Commission made elaborate recommendations on
the lines of country Council Act of England with regard to its policy, objectives

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