Wood Despatch of 1854

Introduction:

Wood‘s Despatch of 1854 -  Charles Wood was a British Liberal politician and Member of Parliament. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1846 to 1852. Later he became the President of the Board of Control of the East India Company. In 1854 he sent the ―Wood‘s despatch to the Governor General Lord Dalhousie. 

As per this despatch: 

1. An education department was to be set in every province. 

2. Universities on the model of the London University be established in big cities such as Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. 

3. At least one government school be opened in every district. 

4. Affiliated private schools should be given grant in aid. 

5. The Indian natives should be given training in their mother tongue also. 

Wood‘s Despatch is called Magna Carta of English Education in India. In accordance with Wood‘s despatch, Education Departments were established in every province and universities were opened at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras in 1857 on the model of the London University. 

Later more universities were opened in Punjab in 1882 and at Allahabad 1887. 

Aims and Objectives of Educational Policy: 

The Despatch first throws light on the aims and objectives of educational policy of the Company in India. It gave highest priority to the responsibility of Indian Education overall other responsibilities of the Company. The Despatch had the following objectives in view: 

a) To impart Western knowledge, information about the western culture to the Indians. 

b) To educate the natives of India so that a class of public servants could be created. 

c) To promote intellectual development and also raise the moral character of the young generation. 

d) To develop practical and vocational skills of the Indians people so that more and more articles could be produced and also to create a good market for consumption of those goods. 

Major Recommendations 

Department of Education: The Wood‘s Despatch, for the first time, recommended the creation of a Department of Public Instruction in each of the five provinces of Bengal, Bombay, Madras, the Punjab and the North Western provinces. The head of the Department would be called the Director and he was to be assisted by a number of inspectors. The D.P.T. had to submit an annual report to the government about the educational progress in his province. 

Expansion of Mass Education: - Another major recommendation of the Despatch was expansion of mass education. It was observed that the common people were deprived of educational opportunities and therefore much emphasis was given on the increase of setting up primary, middle and high schools. The Downward Filtration Theory as proposed earlier was discarded and in its place importance to primary education was given. Elementary education was considered to be the foundation of the education system. 

Establishment of Universities: - The Despatch recommended the establishment of universities in the three Presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. The universities were to be modelled after the London University and these were to have a senate comprising of a Chancellor, a Vice-Chancellor, and fellows who were nominated by the Government. 

The Universities would confer degrees to the successful candidates after passing the examinations, (of Science or Arts Streams) conducted by the Senate. The universities were to organize departments not only of English but also of Arabic, Sanskrit and Persian, as well as law and civil engineering. 

Grant - in-aid system: - The Wood‘s Despatch recommended the sanction of a grant-in-aid system in the Indian educational system. To educate the large number of people of India was a difficult task and so the grant-in-aid system was adopted by the government. Grants were given to those schools and colleges which satisfied the conditions given below:- 

a) The schools must provide secular education. 

b) The school management should run the school well. 

c) The school should agree to state inspection from time to time. 

d) The schools should follow any rule prescribed by the government for the regulation of the grant. 

e) The school must charge fees from the students. 

Grants were given to the schools for increasing the salaries teachers, construction of school buildings, granting scholarships to students, improving conditions of literaries, opening of science department etc. 

Teaching of Language: - The Wood‘s Despatch gave importance to teaching of English, but at the same time, it also stressed on the teaching of Indian languages. The Despatch realised that any acquaintance of European knowledge could be communicated to the common people and that could be conveyed to them only through learning their own mother tongue. Therefore the Despatch clearly stated that Indian languages as well as English should be used as media of instruction. 

Education of Women: - The Despatch recommended that the government should always support education for women. The wood‘s Despatch stated, ―The importance of female education in India cannot be over rated; and we have observed with pleasure the evidence which is now afforded of an increased desire on the part of many of the natives of India to give a good education to their daughters. 

By this means a far greater proportional impulse is imparted to the educational and moral tone of the people than by the education of men. The Despatch also encouraged the private enterprises to promote women education. The schools for girls were to be included among those to which grants-in-aid would be given. 

Training of Teachers: - The Wood‘s Despatch recommended the establishment of teacher training schools in each of the provinces. There should be training schools for teachers of engineering, medicine and law. The qualified teachers should be given better pay scales. The Despatch further emphasized on the provision of scholarships to the teachers during their training period. 

Professional Education: - The Wood‘s Despatch encouraged professional education. It recommended the establishment of medical, engineering law and other institutes of professional education. The Despatch stated that in order to develop vocational efficiency of people and also to make people realise that the British rule was progressive. Another reason for the encouragement of vocational education was to control the problem of unemployment. 

Introduction of network of Graded Schools all over India: - 

The Wood‘s Despatch recommended the establishment of a network of graded schools all over the country. At one end were the universities and the colleges, then the high schools followed by the middle schools and the bottom of the middle schools and at the bottom of the network were the primary schools, both government and indigenous. Both the Anglo-vernacular and vernacular schools were to be included in the same class.

This system was recommended in order to enable an individual to receive higher education after completing the different levels of schools education. 

The merits of Wood‟s Despatch 

· For the first time the government seriously realised the importance of a well planned education system. 

· It recommended the creation of a Department of Public Instruction and appointed a Director to head the Department. 

· It recommended the establishment of both government and indigenous schools to promote mass education. 

· The Despatch also recommended the establishment of three universities to higher education. 

· The Despatch encouraged vocational education and also training for teachers. 

· The Wood‘s Despatch recommended the teaching of English and Indian regional languages as well as classical languages like Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit. 

Failure of the government to implement many recommendations 

· English continued to be the medium of instruction and the common people were deprived of education. 

· The universities set up in 1857 imparted such education as to promote Western knowledge and culture in India. 

· In reality, there was no vocational education in the country. 

· Mainly because of the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, most of the recommendations could not be implemented.