Chapter 7
Primary Education in India and Assam
Procedures:
1. 1. Write about the old education system in India.
Answer: The education system in India is very old. We can divide the education system of our country into three main categories. They are the ancient indigenous education system, the modern education system of the British era and the post-independence education system. These three divisions of education have their own systems. In fact, the basis of the education system of our country today is the ancient indigenous education system. Primary education is the first formal education of human life. Primary education in our country has taken shape after various events. Therefore, it is essential to study the nature of primary education in our country before and after independence.
The beginnings of our indigenous education system were mainly based on religion. Our country had its own education system long before the arrival of the British. Since Hinduism is described as Sanatan Dharma. Therefore, the beginning of the education system in India was also centered around Hinduism. Education based on the Vedas and other religious texts is called Vedic education.
2. 2. Name the old educational institutions in India.
Answer: The oldest educational institutions in India are:
1) Gurukul method
2) Pathshala
3) Tolls
4) Satra
5) Moqtaw
6. Madrassa
7. Monetary System
3. 3. Who was Dr. Ndu Bell? What method did he invent?
Dr. Andy Bell was a British educationist . He invented the montorial method .
4. The Who were the members of the Srirampur trio?
Answer: The members of the Srirampur trio are:
1. William Carey
2. William Ward
3. Joshua Marchman
Procedures:
1. 1. What is the important clause inserted in the Charter Act of 1813?
Answer: The clause inserted in the Charter Act of 1813 is that henceforth one lakh rupees shall be set aside every year for the revival and advancement of Indian literature among the people of the areas under the jurisdiction of educated Indians.
2. 2. Mention the quote made by Lord McCall in his criticism of Oriental education.
Answer:
3. 3. Why is the Wood Declaration of 1854 called the Magna Carta?
Answer:
4. The What was the internal approach to outcome-based grants ? Who introduced it? Who else canceled it?
Answer:
5. 5. What did Gokhale himself say before the Gokhale Bill went to the debate in the Legislative Assembly?
Answer: The proposals are:
1. Primary education should be made compulsory for children aged 6-10 years in India.
2. This Act should be enacted specifically in areas where 33 per cent of boys are receiving education.
3. Local authorities should bear 1 per cent and provincial governments 2 per cent of the cost of education. This means that both parties will have to bear 1:2 per cent of the cost of primary education.
4. A separate department for education should be opened and a secretary level head with several members should be appointed from the Executive Council. The Department will prepare a budget regarding primary education expenditure. In addition, reports on the progress of primary education must be submitted.
5. The responsibility of expanding primary education should not be entrusted only to the provincial governments but also to the central government.
6. 6. What are the reasons for the failure of basic education?
Answer: The reasons for the failure of basic education are:
1. After India's independence, the Congress passed the Basic Education Act but the government was indifferent to implementing its policies.
2. The common people did not understand the meaning of this scheme. There were some ideas in people's minds that this education would only make students labourers.
3. The common people showed neglect of basic education.
4) This education is expensive.
Questionnaire:
1. 1. Give a brief overview of the past education system in India.
Answer: The education system in India is very old. We can divide the education system of our country into three main categories. They are the ancient indigenous education system, the modern education system of the British era and the post-independence education system. These three divisions of education have their own systems. In fact, the basis of the education system of our country today is the ancient indigenous education system. Primary education is the first formal education of human life. Primary education in our country has taken its present shape after going through various events. Therefore, it is essential to study the nature of primary education in our country before and after independence.
The beginnings of our indigenous education system were mainly based on religion. Our country had its own education system long before the arrival of the British. Since Hinduism is described as Sanatan Dharma. Therefore, the beginning of the education system in India was also centered around Hinduism. Education based on the Vedas and other religious texts is called Vedic education.
2. 2. Write briefly:
(a) The Gurukul system
Answer: The ancient Vedic education Gurukul Ashram was established in Kali. Before starting education in the Gurukul, a ceremony called Upanayana was celebrated for three days. Disciples aged 8 to 12 can enter the important house through Upanayana for Vedic education. In the Gurukul, the disciple learned from the Guru for eight years. In the Gurukul Ashram, the disciples had to get up before the Guru went to bed as a daily routine, cleaning the dishes, collecting firewood for the sacrifice, gathering flowers for the puja, and collecting food. In addition, they lived a simple life in the gurugriha and the disciples had to collect alms twice every day. Collecting alms was considered a moral discipline.
( b ) Pathsha la.
Answer: Pathshala is a famous institution of ancient Indian education. The institution was established mainly to educate the children of the Hindu community. The schools were taught in the medium of Sanskrit. The teachers of this institution were learned scholars and their teaching was incomparable. Pathshala ceremonies were usually established in the monasteries, and some Pathshalas had their own lands and houses. These financial assistance programs were conducted by the rulers of the country, the wealthy people of the society and the common people.
The schools mainly taught Ramayana, Mahabharata, literature, science, mathematics, grammar, etc. The main objective of the school education provided through these subjects was to train Hindu children as suitable scholars through religious education.
( c ) Tolls
Answer: Toll is an institution of higher education in ancient India and it was Hindu-centric. Education was provided mainly in the medium of Sanskrit in the tolls. Toll education was prevalent throughout India but became particularly popular in Benares, Kashi, Ujjain, Mithila etc. The administrative system of the tolls was teacher-oriented and very few students attended the tolls. The number of students in the tolls was limited to 25 and the students attended for 6 to 8 years. The development of toll education was supported by royalty and the common people.
The education of the toll was of a very high standard and included the study of the Vedas as well as various subjects such as theology, arts, mathematics and science. After completing their education in Toll, the students qualified for the teaching profession and went to their areas to establish educational institutions and expand their education. Some of the tolls became so popular that students came from far and wide to study under distinguished teachers.
( d ) Satra
Answer: Satra is an institution established by Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva and Sri Sri Madhavade for the promotion and dissemination of Nava Vaishnava religion in Assam. Sankaradeva established the first satra at his birthplace Bardowa. Satras were established mainly for religious purposes. Satras reflect the ideals of ancient Indian society and Buddhist monasteries.
Each satra has a satradhikar. The common people took refuge in the satradhikar and received the ideals of education and moral life. The satras were used for education as well as Assamese society and culture.
( e ) Moktab.
Answer: The centers of primary education under the Muslim education system were called moktabs. The main purpose of primary education was to teach children the alphabet and religious prayers. The moktabs had the necessary arrangements for this. The word moktab is derived from the Arabic word qutub where one gathers to write. Moktabs were attached to mosques. It was here that children received their primary education. Although some wealthy people arranged for their children to be educated at home, most received teachers in moqtabas. In addition, education was provided in khanqahs and dargahs. Fundamentalists were employed to teach at these sacred events. They were provided with the necessary financial assistance.
( f ) Madrasahs
Answer: The higher system of education in the Muslim era was called Madrassa. The word madrassa comes from the Arabic word dars, which means to give speech. After completing his moktab education, he enrolled in a madrassa for higher education. Madrassa education was divided into two categories:
Secular
Religious education
Ten/twelve years were fixed for the entire education. Subjects for secular education included Arabic, grammar, prose, literature and philosophy, logic, astrology, mathematics, history, geography, agriculture and addition. The medium of instruction was Arabic. Emperor Aurangzeb advocated the mother tongue as the medium of instruction because, after ten or twelve years of education, most of the students could not fully master the Arabic language.
Religious education was imparted with an overall knowledge of the Koran. In addition, the religious traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, Muslim law, and the lines of the Sufis were included in this teaching. Initially, secular education was provided, but incentives were used to convert. Mahamati Akbal had some liberal attitude in this regard.
( g ) Srirampur Trio.
The Calcutta Free Education Society was first established in Calcutta in 1789 by the missionaries to provide education to European children . Later, the society also established schools for Indian children. In 1793, the Baptist missionary William Carey faced great difficulties in introducing educational work in Calcutta. So in 1999, in collaboration with two other missionaries, William Ward and Joshua Marchman, he established a center at Srirampur, 15 miles from Calcutta, and was involved in Kalita education and cultural work for nearly 40 years. The three of them were known together as Srirampur Krayi. They established a college and several schools at Srirampur in They also translated the Bible and various other works into Bengali.
3. 3. Briefly write about monitorial practices.
Answer: The monetary system, which gained popularity all over the world during the early 19th century, was actually a center of education in ancient India. The system was independently developed by British educators Dr. Andrew Bell and Joseph Lancaster. The educational system of the ancient Indian Vedics and Muslims was informally monetary. The two British educators popularized this system with that inspiration.
In the monitoring system, teachers selected qualified students from the upper classes to assist them in their teaching and employed them to teach the students from the lower classes. This system greatly reduced the labor of teachers. This system is also known as the teacher-student system or the Bell system.
4. The Write about the contribution of missionaries to education in Assam.
The contribution of the missionaries to education in Assam is discussed below :
(a) Establishment of Schools: In 1836, American Baptist missionaries led by Dr. Nathan Brown and Oliver T. Carter came to Assam and established a center first at Shadia and later at Jaipur. They established the Baptist Church in Guwahati in The women's branch of the missionaries established the Janana School to promote women's education in Assam. The school initially received some promising response but later closed due to lack of girls. In 1841, the Welsh Presbyterian Mission established a center in Shillong, Assam and established schools for Khasia and Jaintia children. The Church Missionary Society, which came to Assam in the late 19th century, established a center in Darang district on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, established schools for the Kacharis and promoted education.
(b) Restoration of Assamese Language: Due to various misconceptions, the British recognized Bengal as the official language and medium of education in Assam in But they soon realized their mistake and so the Christian missionaries drew the attention of the company that the mother tongue of Assam was Assamese and it should be recognized by the government. The contributions of the Christian missionaries, Rev. Bronson and Milch, as well as Anandram Dhekial Fukan, are particularly noteworthy. As a result of their efforts, in 1873, Assamese was re-introduced as the medium of instruction and the official language.
(c) Literary Translation and Publication: In 1813, three missionaries of Srirampur Kroyi translated and published the Bible into Assamese with the assistance of Assamese scholar Atmaram Sharma of Nagaon. This is the first printed and published book in the Assamese language. In 1839, William Robinson published the first Assamese grammar, Grammar of the Assamese Language . In 1844, the Assam Buranji by the Assamese historian Kashiram Tamuli Fukan was published by the Mission Press. The missionaries will always be remembered in the history of the media in Assam, as they published the first Assamese newspaper, Arunodoi, in 1846 under the leadership of Dr. Nathan Brown.
5. 5. Write briefly.
( a ) Charter Act 1813
Answer: In the 16th century, the East India Company signed a treaty with the Queen of England and according to that treaty they were allowed to trade in India. This agreement is known as the Charter Act. In 1813, on the eve of the renewal of the Charter Act, two parties were formed in support of Western and Western education and literature and culture.
(b) East-West conflict
Answer: The recommendation to spend Rs. 1 lakh on education mentioned in Article 43 of the Charter Act makes all those who support Eastern and Western education aware. Different authorities interpreted the concept of Article 43 in their own ways. As a result, no one could reach a sound conclusion. In 1823, the then Governor General, Lord William Bentinck, formed a committee called the General Committee of Public Instruction to resolve disputes over the expenditure on education. The committee had 10 members and these members also had differences of opinion on decisions on educational aid. This dispute lasted for twelve years from 1823 to This conflict is known as the East-West conflict.
(c) The McLean Report.
Lord McCall came to India on 13 June 1834 as a legal member of the Council of Governors General . At that time, the East-West-West conflict was at its peak. He was a proficient scholar of the English language and an eloquent speaker. Lord William Bentinck appointed him Chairman of the General Committee of Public Instruction. The government sought his advice on two particular issues. The two topics are:
(a) Can Rs. 1 lakh of grant be spent in fields other than Oriental education?
(b) What is the real meaning of Article 43 of 1813?
( d ) Downward excretory principle
Answer:
7. 7. Write about the main recommendations of Wood's Manifesto.
Answer: The main recommendations of Wood's manifesto are:
1. Establishment of Education Department: Every province of India should have an education department to regulate and manage education. This department will be responsible for promoting education. This Education Department shall have an Education Officer and an Inspector shall be appointed to assist him.
2. Medium of Education: According to the Wood Declaration, in areas where parents wish to educate their children in the mother tongue, the medium of instruction should be the mother tongue and English should be made a compulsory language. On the other hand, in areas where the people wish to make English the medium of instruction, education can be provided in English.
3. Standardization of Education: According to this guideline, Indian education should be staged. The stages will be primary schools, secondary schools and colleges and universities as institutions of higher education. The guidelines opposed the downward spiral policy and recommended that education be provided to all people.
8. 8. Why is Wood 's Declaration called ' Magna Carta ' in the history of education in India ? Write with logic.
Answer:
9. Discuss the impact of the Wood Declaration on Indian education.
Answer: The impact of the Udar Declaration on Indian education is discussed below:
1. Establishment of Universities: The directives recommended the establishment of one university in each province of India on the model of the University of London. The main function of these universities will be to conduct examinations and award degrees and diplomas.
2. Emphasis on employment: The report also recommended employment of educated Indians in suitable jobs. The appointment of educated people was expected to enhance the administrative efficiency and discipline of the government. In addition, employment will also attract other Indians to education. There should be no bias in government recruitment.
3. Vocational Education: In the field of vocational education, it was recommended that arrangements should be made for the provision of vocational subjects along with general education and therefore vocational schools and colleges should be established near the industries.
4. Development of Indian Languages: Wood's guidelines also emphasized the development of Indian languages. According to the directive, it is not enough to translate texts of Yarazi literature into Indian languages. Emphasis should also be placed on writing basic texts in Indian languages.
5. Education of Muslims: Looking at the educational underdevelopment of Muslims, the guidelines recommended that measures should be taken to make Muslims interested in education.
10. 10. The Hunter Commission of 1882 recommended the development of primary education in India. Did you offer ? Describe the
Answer: The recommendations of the Hunter Commission of 1882 for the development of primary education in India are as follows:
(1) Policy:
(a) Primary education shall be provided in the mother tongue.
(b) Primary education should be provided as a public education relevant to real life rather than being used as a means of higher education.
(c) The Government should provide adequate and sponsorship assistance to primary schools.
(2) Management:
(a) The responsibility for the management of primary education should be delegated to district boards and municipal boards.
(b) These Boards shall have the responsibility of inspecting primary education.
(c) It relieved the Government of the responsibility of primary education.
(3) Financial System:
(a) District and municipal boards shall provide the necessary funds for primary education.
(b) Local funds should be spent solely on the improvement of primary education.
(c) The provincial government shall disburse local funds properly and on time.
(4) Training for teachers:
(a) There should be provision for training of primary school teachers.
(b) The administration and management of the normal school shall be vested in the Inspector of Schools.
(c) Further assistance shall be provided to trained teachers after training.
(5) Course:
(a) Each Province may prepare its own curriculum for the schools under its jurisdiction.
(b) Emphasis should be placed on inclusion of practical courses in line with the essential aspects of life.
(c) Sports and exercise for physical development should be included in the curriculum.
(6) Others:
(a) Examination should not be made compulsory with a view to expanding primary education.
(b) The Government may, if necessary, enact laws for the expansion of primary education.
(c) School examinations, times, etc. shall be determined taking into account local facilities.
11. 11. Briefly describe Lord Curzon's education policy.
Answer: Lord Curzon's educational policies are described below:
1) Subsidy System: Curzon felt that the main reason for the slow development of primary education in India was the lack of funds. Therefore, he recommended more government assistance for primary education. He recommended that local authorities provide two-thirds of the subsidy for education expenses instead of the previous one-third.
2. Avoidance of outcome-based grant system: The outcome-based grant system made the schools that did not perform well worse off. Lord Curzon therefore eschewed an outcome-based grant system and recommended liberal principles for grantmaking.
3. Curriculum Reform: Lord Curzon wanted to reform the curriculum in primary education. Therefore, he wanted to include agriculture as a subject in the primary school curriculum besides writing, reading and counting. Primary schools should be connected to the local environment. Therefore, the curriculum of primary education in urban and rural areas should be separated.
12. Write briefly:
(a) Hunter Commission and Primary Education
Answer: The Hunter Commission specifically focused on taking various measures for the development of primary education in the country. The Commission's recommendations in this regard are as follows:
(1) Policy:
(a) Primary education shall be provided in the mother tongue.
(b) Primary education should be provided as a public education relevant to real life rather than being used as a means of higher education.
(c) The Government should provide adequate and sponsorship assistance to primary schools.
(2) Management:
(a) The responsibility for the management of primary education should be delegated to district boards and municipal boards.
(b) These Boards shall have the responsibility of inspecting primary education.
(c) It relieved the Government of the responsibility of primary education.
(3) Financial System:
(a) District and municipal boards shall provide the necessary funds for primary education.
(b) Local funds should be spent solely on the improvement of primary education.
(c) The provincial government shall disburse local funds properly and on time.
(4) Training for teachers:
(a) There should be provision for training of primary school teachers.
(b) The administration and management of the normal school shall be vested in the Inspector of Schools.
(c) Further assistance shall be provided to trained teachers after training.
(5) Course:
(a) Each Province may prepare its own curriculum for the schools under its jurisdiction.
(b) Emphasis should be placed on inclusion of practical courses in line with the essential aspects of life.
(c) Sports and exercise for physical development should be included in the curriculum.
(6) Others:
(a) Examination should not be made compulsory with a view to expanding primary education.
(b) The Government may, if necessary, enact laws for the expansion of primary education.
(c) School examinations, times, etc. shall be determined taking into account local facilities.
(b) Lord Curzon's Primary Education Policy
Answer: Lord Curzon's primary education policies are:
1) Subsidy System: Curzon felt that the main reason for the slow development of primary education in India was the lack of funds. Therefore, he suggested more government subsidies for primary education. He recommended that local authorities provide two-thirds of the subsidy for education expenses instead of the previous one-third.
2. Avoidance of outcome-based grant system: The outcome-based grant system made the schools that did not perform well worse off. Lord Curzon therefore eschewed an outcome-based grant system and recommended liberal principles for grantmaking.
3. Curriculum Reform: Lord Curzon wanted to reform the primary education curriculum. Therefore, he wanted to include agriculture as a subject in the primary school curriculum besides writing, reading and counting. Primary schools should be connected to the local environment. Therefore, the curriculum of primary education in urban and rural areas should be separated.
4. Improvement of teaching methods: Curzon observed that the teaching methods of primary schools are quite old and non-psychological, which fail to engage the students. Therefore, he suggested that better methods like kindergarten methods should be used for teaching.
5. Teacher Training: Teachers need training to improve the quality of primary education. With this feeling, Curzon suggested that teachers should be given two years of training. He also emphasized the establishment of teacher training centers for this purpose. He also suggested that rural teachers should also be trained in agricultural education.
6. Increase in teachers' salaries: Curzon recommended payment of adequate salaries to primary school teachers. His vision was that an increase in salaries would enable suitable persons to be attracted to the teaching profession and that these persons could attentively render quality service to the teaching profession. In addition, all teachers should be paid equally without regional discrimination.
