Charter Act of 1813
It marked the beginning of modern or western education in India. The Act sanctioned Rs.1.00 Lakhs for education. Three Sanskrit Colleges at Calcutta, Delhi and Agra were set up.
Macaulay’s Famous Minute, 1835
It is very famous minute which
ended the hot debate of Orientalist Vs Anglicist debate. The minutes decided
the medium of education as “English medium” because Lord Macaulay wanted to create
an Indian Class which is Indian in blood and color but English in tastes, in moral,
opinion and intellect.
Wood’s Dispatch of 1854
Wood’s Dispatch of 1854 is also
called Magna Carta of English Education in India. It was very comprehensive and
given responsibility of education to the masses to the Government. It
established hierarchy from primary education to higher education and proposed
vernacular language as the medium of education at primary level in villages, Anglo-vernacular
medium at high school level and recommended English language as medium of
education of Higher Education. In 1857, Universities at Calcutta, Bombay and
Madras was set up.
Hunter Commission on Education, 1882-83
This Education Commission was appointed
under the chairmanship of W.W. Hunter to review the progress in the education
after implementation of the Wood’s Dispatch. This commission primarily focused
it recommendation at primary and secondary level.
Indian Universities Act, 1904/ Raleigh Commission, 1902
Raleigh Commission was appointed
in 1902 to look into the possibility to establish Universities in India. Based
on the recommendation of this commission, in 1904 the Indian Universities Act,
1904 came into existence.
Saddler University Commission, 1917-19
Primarily the objective of this
Commission was to look after different issues in Calcutta University. However, its
recommendations were implemented in all other Universities.
Hartog Committee, 1929
Hartog Committee was constituted
in 1929 to look after the issues behind deteriorating education standards due
to increase in number of students.
Wardha Scheme on Education, 1937
This Scheme was formulated by
Congress party at its national conference held at Wardha in 1937. The scheme
proposed by Zakir Hussain Committee proposed change in basic education and
linked it with some vocational training i.e. learning through activity such as
education of handicraft etc. But this scheme was not got realized.
Sergeant Plan, 1944
Unlike other Committee or
Commission which reviewed the past policies, the Sergeant Plan on education was
formulated to look after future challenges in education via a long-term plan. The
plan recommended pre-primary education for child of 3-6 years age and
universal, compulsory, free primary education or basic education between the
ages of 6-14 years. This report was not accepted and severely criticized because the report had projected 40 years of for attaining universalization of
primary education.
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