Education in

pre- independent
India
Education in pre- independent India

1. Ancient (Vedic) period [2500 B.C to 500 B.C]

2. Buddhist Period [500 BC to 1200 A.D]
3. Muslim period [1200 A.D to 1700 A.D]
4. British period [1700 A.D to 1947 A.D]
BRITISH PERIOD [1700 A.D. to 1947 A.D.]
• Charter Act (1813 A.D.)
• Macaulay Minute (1835 A.D.)
• Wood’s Despatch (1854 A.D.)
• Stanley’s Despatch (1859 A.D.)
• Monitorial System (1880 A.D.)
• Hunter Commission (1882 A.D.)
• Education Policy (1904 A.D.)
• Calcutta University (1917-19 A.D.)
• Hartog Committee (1929 A.D.)
• CABE (1935 A.D.)
• Wardha Scheme (1937 A.D.)
• Sargent Report (1944 A.D.)
ANCIENT (VEDIC) PERIOD [2500 B.C to 500 B.C]

ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE OF EDUCATION

1. FREE FROM STATE CONTROL

2. FREE EDUCATION
3. SOURCES OF INCOME: DONATION, DAN, GURU,
DAKSHINA
AIMS OF EDUCATION

1. Inculcating religion
2. Salvation
3. Development of knowledge
4. Acquaintance and observance of social and national
duties
5. Preservation and development of culture
6. Moral and character development education of
livelihood, arts and skills
• Curriculum:

1. Material curriculum
2. Spiritual curriculum

• Methods of teaching:

1. Oral method
2. Thinking method
3. Manas (reflection) method
DUTIES OF TEACHERS TOWARDS STUDENT

1. To make arrangement for student’s lodging, fooding

and clothing etc.
2. To look after the health of the students and arrange
treatment in case of falling ill
3. To compulsorily impart education in language,
religion and ethics
4. To teach students good conduct and build their
character
5. To inspire students towards activities work doing and
prevent them from undesirable activities.
STUDENT’S DUTIES TOWARDS TEACHERS

1. To look after the cleanliness of gurukul and its

complete arrangements.
2. To clean the teachers residence and arrange for
teacher’s worship.
3. To seek alms for teachers ad others residents of the
gurukul.
4. To massage the feet of the teachers.
5. To abide by the orders of the teacher with devotion.
DISCIPLINE

Discipline meant physical, mental, spiritual control.

Physical control required to observance of celibacy
abstain from vanity, using fragrance, entertainment
through dance, music, intoxicants, gambling, killing
cow, telloi9ng lies and backbiting.
Mental control referred to control of sense organs.
Spiritual control meant identifying the form of soul,
perceiving similar identity in all and working for
universal welfare.
TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP

Enjoyed a cordial relationship.

Teachers considered their student as their son and
students regarded teachers as their father.
BUDDHIST PERIOD [500 B.C to 1200 A.D]

Principle of Buddhism or four noble truth:

There is suffering.
Desire is the causes of suffering.
There is cessation of suffering.
There is a way to destroy suffering.
PABBAJA CEREMONY

Was an accepted ceremony of the buddhist monastery.

Pabbaja means “going out”.
For Pabbaja minimum age was eight.
According to this ceremony the student after being
admitted to a monastery had to renounce all his
worldly and family relationship.
Head bhikshus advices towards individual:
I. I take refugee with buddha.
II. I take refugee with religion.
III.I take refugee with the order.
UPASAMPADA

After completing the education of twelve years, the

monk at the age of 20 years had to undergo the
“upasampada ritual.
Then becomes the permanent members of the sangh.
On this occasions all his worldly and family
relationship ended.
AIMS OF EDUCATION

1. Physical development.
2. Development of knowledge.
3. Education of social behaviour.
4. Preservation and development of human
culture.
5. Character formation.
6. Vocational development.
7. Education of buddhist religion.
CURRICULUM OF EDUCATION

1. Curriculum of primary education

Duration was 6 years.

Reading, writing, five different sciences namely
morphology, astrology, medicine, logic and
spirituality were taught.
2. Curriculum of higher education

Duration was generally of years.

During this period a general knowledge of grammar.
Religion, astrology, ayurveda and philosophy was
imparted to students.
Special education included pali, prakit and sanskrit
languages along with their grammar and literature and
such subjects as astrophysics, cosmology,
jurisprudence, political science, economics, arts, skill,
vocations, architecture, buddhist, jain and vedic
religions, theology, logic.
Another types of education were concerned initially
imparted but at higher level specialization in any of the
field may be taken.

a. Worldly curriculum: reading, writing, mathematics

arts, skill and vocational education.

b. Religious curriculum:
i. For general students buddhist, jain and vedic
religion were imparted.
ii. For the bhikshu education, they had to study
buddhist literature namely tripitak, sulta, vinay
and avidhamma pitak.
METHODS OF TEACHING

Teaching activities were carried out orally by lecture

method, question answer method, logic, conference
method.
Activity oriented subject were taught by
demonstration, imitation and practice method
Students of higher classes were also given the
opportunity of self study.
DISCIPLINE

Both teacher and student must follow the rules of

buddhist sanghs strictly.

Generally twice a month teacher and students met

at a specific place for introspection and to confess.

Corporal punishment was abhorred in that period.

TEACHER’S QUALIFICATION

1. 8 years of bhikshu education after 12 years of higher

education.
2. To adopt buddhism.
3. Life long celibacy.
4. Strict adherence to the sangh discipline.
STUDENTS

Students in buddhist period were termed as shraman or

samner.
They had to compulsorily reside in maths and vihars.
Had to get up early in the morning before teachers
Had to make arrangements for their morning prayers.
Students unable to pay fees for higher education had to
contribute manual service.
TEACHER-TAUGHT RELATIONSHIP

Teachers were like father figure to students.

Generally looked after the administration of maths

and vihars.

Organised teaching work while students carry out

different tasks as advised by their teachers.

OTHER ASPECTS OF EDUCATION

 They are taken steps to give mass education.

Women education was encouraged.

More importance to vocation education.

Education of different religion is imparted to

develop religious tolerance among people.

MUSLIM PERIOD [ 1200 A.D to 1700 A.D]

Aims of education

1. Development of knowledge.
2. Spread of Islamic culture and Islamic religion.
3. Development of character and morality.
4. Loyalty to the government.
5. Education of arts, skills and vocations.
CURRICULUM OF EDUCATION

1. Curriculum at the primary level.

a) Knowledge of alphabets.
b) 30th section of Quran.
c) Reading, writing , mathematics, letter and
application writing and the way of conversion.
d) Special practice in proper pronunciation.
e) Good handwriting were given to children.
2. CURRUCULUM AT THE HIGHER LEVEL

The curriculum was divided into two categories:-

a) Worldly curriculum: Arabic and Persian languages and

their literature, mathematics, geometry, history,
geography, economics, political science, astrology,
Islamic law, Unani medicine and various arts, skills
and vocations.

b) Religious curriculum: Quran, Islamic history, Islamic

literature, Sufi literature and Islamic law.
METHODS OF TEACHING

At primary level: imitation, practice and memorization.

At higher level: speech, lecture and explanation method
were adopted.
For philosophy and logic method was used.
Self study method was also adopted for higher level.
To teach the activity oriented subjects, arts, skills and
other vocations demonstration, experiment and practice
method were adopted.
DISCIPLINE

To obeying teachers and compliance to the

rules of maktabs and madrsaha.
Corporal punishment was given.
Provision of reward for disciplined students
was there.
TEACHERS (USTAD)

People well versed in Islamic religion and scholars

of Arabic or Persian or other subjects could become
teachers.

They receive high salary and they possessed high

status in the society.
STUDENTS (SHAGRID)

Lived under the strict control and discipline of the

teachers.

Lived in a highly oppressive condition.

Lead a sophisticated life in the hostels.

In hostel they had a very good infrastructure

facilities and very delicious food were provided.
TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP

Teachers loved their students and taught

them with great concern.

Students also respected their teachers and

obeyed them devotedly.

Students obeyed the teachers out of fear in

medieval period.
MAKTAB
Were primary school meant for small children.
It is a place where reading and writing is taught.
Students admitted here at the age of 4 years, 4
months, 4 days.
At the time of admission, Bismillah ceremony was
solemnized.
Every student was made to learn verse of Quran,
Islamic religion, Arabic, Persian and mathematics.
 MADRASHA

Means to deliver speech.

Higher education was given here.
Located either in state capital or in big cities.
Contemporary kings an d emperors contributed a lot in
the establishment of the madrasah, their buildings,
libraries and hostels etc.
Chief aim was the preservation and spread of Muslim
religion and culture.
Medium of instruction was Arabic and Persian
languages.
OTHER ASPECT OF EDUCATION

The concept of mass education was something

inconceivable in the medieval period, since their aim
is to spread Islam and its culture. So only 6% of the
population was literature.
Both boys and girls were educated in maktab and
ladies were forbidden from entering madrasah.
They made best arrangement for the education of
different arts, crafts and vocations in madrasah.
Only Islamic religion was taught.
BRITTISH PERIOD
 MONITORIAL SYSTEM

• Based on the principal of mutual instruction

• Worked out by splitting up a class into a number of
small groups and by placing each group under the
charge of a brilliant pupil, called ‘monitor’.
• Monitor was assigned the duty of maintaining
proper discipline and imparting individual as well
as collective instruction to the students of his
group.
• Monitors gained some proficiency in teaching and
class control, which enabled them to teach
independently in their later life.
 TEACHER’S TRAINING SCHOOLS

• First formal Teacher’s Training School in India was set

up at Serampur(West Bengal), in the name of Normal
School by Carey, Marshman and Ward in 1793. It was the
result of the joint efforts of Danish and English
missionaries.
• In Bombay, the Native Education Society trained a
number of teachers for the improvement of teaching in
Primary Schools
• In Bengal, the Calcutta School Society did pioneering
work for the training of teachers for indigenous schools.
• The Ladies Society of Calcutta started a training class for
training women teachers in the Calcutta Central School
for Girls.
 CHARTER ACT OF 1813
The Charter Act of the East India Company was renewed after
every 20 years in the British Parliament.
Due to the movement led by the Christian missionaries, three
articles were added in the Charter Act of 1813.
• Missionaries of any European country will have full freedom
to visit India to propagate Christianity.
• It will now be the responsibility of East India Company to
organise education in the areas under its rule.
• A sum of not less than one lakh of rupees each year shall be
set apart and applied to the revival and improvement of
literature and the encouragement of the learned natives of
India and for the introduction and promotion of a knowledge
of the science among the inhabitant of the British Territories
in India.
 MACAULAY MINUTE (1835)

In his report Macaulay mentioned:

• The word ‘literature’ meant only English literature and
not Sanskrit or Arabic or Persian literature.
• The word ‘learned natives’ meant a scholar who is
learned in the Locke’s philosophy, Milton’s poetry that
is English literature.
 WILLIAM BENTICK RESOLUTION

Lord Bentick went through the Macaulay’s report and declared

the new education policy of the British Government on March
7, 1835. The major declarations of this policy are:
1. All government fund appropriated for the purpose of
education would be best employed on English education
alone.
2. The educational institutions of Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian shall
not be closed down. The economic grants for their teachers
salary and students scholarship will continue as before.
3. In future no expenditure will be made on the printing and
publication of oriental literature.
4. The money so saved will be spend on the education of the
English language, literature and western knowledge and
Science.
 DOWNWARD FILTRATION THEORY

This theory meant, “Education is to be filtered to the

common people. Drop by drop the education should go to
the common public so that at due time it may take the form
of a vast stream which remained watering desert of the
society for long times and high class of people should be
educated and common people gain interest from them.”
 WOOD’S DESPATCH 1854

The recommendations of the dispatch are as

follows:
• The acceptance of educational responsibility
• The aim of education
• Course of study
• The medium of instruction
• Department of public instruction
• Establishment of universities
• Establishment of regular institutions
• Extension of Public education
• Grant in aid system
• Training of the teacher
• Education of women
• Muslim education
• Vocational education
• Encouragement of the oriental education
• Education and service
STANLEY’S DESPATCH:1859

• The new grant-in-aid rules provided that salary grants to

schools be
• Given for those teachers who had obtained a certificate of
teacher training.

• In 1882 existed 106 normal schools ,including 15 institutions

meant exclusively for women

• Training classes were added to the

1)Govt normal school, Madras
2)Central training school, Lahore

• In 1886 the first training college to prepare secondary school

teachers was set up at Saidapet in Madras.
 INDIAN EDUCATION COMMISSION OR
HUNTER’S COMMISSION (1882)

Recommendations of Hunter Commission:

1. Primary Education
• The policies of the primary education
• Curriculum
• Financial administration
• Establishment of the primary institutions
• Indigenous education
2.Secondary Education

• The govt. should give the administration and

organization of secondary education into hands
of efficient and able Indians.
• The commission recommended two types of
curriculum called Curriculum A & B.
• Curriculum A was to have subjects that were to
be useful for higher study.
• Curriculum B was to have vocational,
occupational and practical subjects.
• English should continue as medium of
instruction.
3. HIGHER EDUCATION

• They recommended to have varied and vast curricula so

that the students can select the subjects of their choice and
aptitude.
• Grant-in-aid given to the colleges by considering its
expenditure, number of teachers, efficiency and local
need.
• Meritorious & promising students may be sent to foreign
countries for higher education on govt. scholarship.
• Teachers who have received education in European
Universities are preferred for appointment.
• Private colleges should be authorized to receive lesser fee
as compared to govt. colleges.
EDUCATION OF THE WOMEN

• Free education, appointment of lady teachers and lady

Inspectresses
• Liberal Grrant-in-aid system.
• Different curriculum for girls.
• Decent arrangements of hostels.
• Special arrangements for education of ‘Parda’ observing ladies.

MUSLIM EDUCATION

• Effort must be made to popularize Muslim education

• Special funds should be allocated for it
• More scholarships should be given for Muslim students
• In government appointments, Muslims should be given
proportionate representation.
EDUCATION POLICY:1904

• Lord Curzon was boldly stated in the govt. of India

resolution on educational policy
• For the graduates, the training courses should be one
year university course
• The training in the theory of teaching should be clearly
associated with its practice
• And for this purpose, good practising school should be
attached to each college.
• Under modern system of education no teacher should be
allowed to teach without a certificate that has qualified
him to do so.
CALCUTTA UNIVERSITY COMMISSION: 1917-19

Sir Michael Sadler the Calcutta University Commission

popularly known as Sadler Commission.
Recommendations of this commission:
• A small experimental school must be attached in
addition to a large practising school, to a training
college because to
• provide opportunity for educational
experiment

• accustom the students in training to the

methods which should be used in every good
school under normal conditions of work.
 WARDHA SCHEME OF EDUCATION OR BASIC
EDUCATION (1937)

Resolutions that were passed in the Wardha Educational

Conference are:
1. Free and compulsory education be provided for 7 years
on a nation wide scale.
2. Medium of instruction be the mother tongue.
3. The process of education should centre round some form
of manual and productive work.
4. The conference accepts that this system of education
will be gradually able to cover the remuneration of the
teachers.
 DR. ZAKIR HUSSAIN COMMETTEE (1937)

1.Free and compulsory education to the boys and

girls from age 7 to 11 years.
2.Education shall centre around some basic craft.
3.Goods produced by the students should be utilised
and profit so earned to meet the expenditure of the
schools.
4.Education of the craft to be given in such a way
that the children may earn their livelihood from it.
5.Mother tongue will be the medium of instruction
and teaching of English shall have no place in
curriculum.
REFERENCES:

1.Teacher Education by Shashi Prabha Sharma

THANK YOU