Chapter 8, Civilising the Native, Educating the Nation (History)

Topic Based Questions

6. What was English Education Act of 1835?
The English Education Act of 1835 was passed to introduce the following changes
:
1.To make English as a medium of instruction in higher education.
2.To stop promoting oriental schools like the Calcutta Madrasa and the Benaras
Sanskrit College.
3.Incorporating English textbooks into school curriculum.
Q7. Why did Mahatma Gandhi think that English education has enslaved Indians?
Mahatma Gandhi thought that English education had enslaved Indians because of
the following reasons:

 He argued that colonial education created a sense of inferiority as per

Mahatma Gandhi.
 Gandhi said Western education destroyed the pride that the Indians had in
their own culture and created a sense of superior feeling about the Western
civilisation.
 Mahatma Gandhi said colonial education cast an evil spell on Indians, it
enslaved Indians.

 The admiration for British rule started rising among Indians educated in
colonial institutions.
 As per Gandhi, education in English made them strangers in their own lands,
distanced them from their own social surroundings and crippled Indians.

Q8. Explain Tagore’s Idea of Education.

 Rabindranath Tagore felt a child should have opportunities for self-learning,

outside the schooling system set up by British which had a system of
restricting discipline and which was very rigid.
 Rabindranath Tagore felt children should be allowed to develop curiosity,
and teachers should be able to understand children and be imaginative.
 Tagore had the opinion that only within a natural environment, creative
learning could be encouraged.
 Q9. How Tagore’s view was different from Mahatma Gandhi regarding
National Education?

 Gandhiji was highly critical of Western civilisation and its worship of

machines and technology.
 Tagore wanted to combine elements of modern Western civilisation with
what he saw as the best within Indian tradition He emphasised the need to
teach science and technology at Santiniketan along with art , music and
dance.

Class Test
1.