What was woods despatch ?what was its result?
Answers
As a result the Wood's Despatch was issued, with Sir Charles Wood as the President of the Board of Control of Education. The main objective of the Despatch was to impart Western knowledge to the Indian people and also to develop their intellect and moral character.
Charles Wood, who was a British Liberal politician and Member of Parliament, 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.
Objectives of the Despatch:
The despatch had the following objectives:
(i) To confer upon the natives of India those vast and material blessings which flow from the general diffusion of Western knowledge,
(ii) To raise the moral character of those who partake of the above advantage,
(iii) To supply the East India company with reliable and capable public servants,
(iv) To secure for England a large and more certain supply of many articles, necessary for her manufactures and were extensively consumed by her population.
Recommendations
It was accepted in the Despatch that the responsibility of educating Indians was that of British Government.
The Despatch recommended that the existing Board of Control for Education be abolished and the office of the Director of Public Instructions should be established in the states.
The despatch recommended for the establishment of universities in the presidency towns, viz. Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.
The medium of instruction of education in India would be English. The Despatch accepted the views of Lord Macaulay.
The despatch proposed the system of grant- in-aid for the Indian educational institutions.
In order to secure properly qualified teachers for schools, the Despatch suggested the training of teachers in normal schools.
As Indians were two orthodox, the British Government did not show any interest in education of females. It insisted on a policy of strict neutrality in religion.
The Despatch admitted that mass education had totally been neglected and so far the Government devoted its attention exclusively towards providing means of education for the higher classes.
Significance
The Wood’s Despatch was considered of great significance in the history of Indian education. It was the first time that a comprehensive scheme could be presented by the British Government. Prof. S.N. Mukherjee observed in his book “History of Education in India”, “The Despatch is indeed a very important document. It was considered to be the ‘Magna Carta of English Education in India’.
“The Despatch is so comprehensive in nature that Indian educationists have not yet succeeded in fulfilling the tasks, which it had set. It provided a scheme which tried to touch all aspects of Indian education, rightly defined the comparative position of English and Indian languages in a general scheme of education for this country”.