The 'Wood's Despatch' of 1854 recommended several significant changes in the Indian education system.
Which of the following was a key recommendation of this despatch?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Answer: (2) The establishment of a comprehensive system of education from the primary to the university level, with English as the medium of instruction at higher levels.
Explanation:
Charles Wood's Despatch of 1854 is referred to as the 'Magna Carta' of Indian education. It presented the first detailed blueprint for a modern education system in India. The most significant recommendation of this Despatch was that the government should create a systematic hierarchy of education, extending from primary schools up to universities. Under this framework, it was suggested that the medium of instruction at the primary level should be the local language to ensure that education reached the masses while English should be adopted as the medium of instruction for higher education (at the university level). Based on these very recommendations, universities modeled after the University of London were established in Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras in 1857.
Additional Points:
Women's Education and Teacher Training: For the first time, Wood's Despatch emphasized the establishment of institutions dedicated to women's education and the training of teachers.
Grants-in-Aid: A system of providing government grants was introduced to encourage private initiatives in education.
Department of Public Instruction: It was recommended that a separate 'Department of Public Instruction' be established in every province.
Potential Exam Questions and Answers:
Question: Which commission/document is referred to as the 'Magna Carta of Indian Education'?
Answer: Wood's Despatch (1854).
Question: In which three cities were universities established in 1857, based on the recommendations of Wood's Despatch?
Answer: Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras.
Question: Did Wood's Despatch support the 'Downward Filtration Theory' of education?
Answer: No; it rejected this theory and instead focused on mass education.
Question: During the tenure of which Governor-General was the Hunter Education Commission (1882) constituted?
Answer: Lord Ripon.