Secondary Education in India

In India secondary education grew up in isolation from the system of elementary education. So necessity arose for the establishment of secondary schools. Moreover, education imparted in these institutions becomes a passport for entrance into government services. Primarily it was meant for the upper class and was really a preparation for college.

In order to know the present system of secondary education, it is necessary to attempt a brief review of the various Government Resolutions, Reports and Recommendations, which have approached this problem directly or indirectly. As early as 1830 A.D. the authority decided to give English education to the Indians in order to qualify them to take a large share in the civil administration of their country. Consequent on Macaulays’ minute regarding the educational policy of the future.

Lord William Bentick’s Government issued a communiqué wherein it was stated “that the great object of the British Government ought to be promotion of European literature and science among the natives of India and that all the funds appropriated for the purpose of education would be best employed on English education alone”. Hence English was made the official language in India.

In 1837, English was made the court language. Lord Hardinge passed a resolution in 1844, according to which English knowing Indians were offered high posts. As a result of this Western education in preference to traditional learning gathered momentum in the country and educational discrimination occurred in the minds of the Indians. However, by 1852, there were only 52 secondary schools throughout the country. Since secondary education was specifically and exclusively meant to be college preparatory, it was excessively academic and bookish, out of touch with life.

The Woods Despatch, 1854, marked the beginning of a new era in the educational system of India and gave a further stimulus lo the cause of secondary education. Secondary education received great encouragement and the system of grants-in-aid as recommended by the Despatch also benefitted secondary schools.

The establishment of universities in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras in 1857 had far reaching consequences on the contents, range and scope of secondary education. They began to control secondary schools through the Matriculation examination. Universities were entrusted with the work of chalking out the policy regarding Curriculum, Examination, the Medium of Instruction and other vital problems pertaining to secondary education.

Between 1854-82, certain defects were clearly discernible in the secondary system-the mother tongue was completely dropped as the medium of instruction, no steps were taken for the training of secondary school teachers, the courses of studies prevalent then, was highly academic and unrelated to life mainly because there was no scope for vocational courses.

The Hunter Commission, 1882, studied the problems and position of secondary education of those days and suggested for the first time the diversified courses of instruction at the secondary level. It recommended that in the upper classes of high schools, there shall be two divisions-one leading to the entrance examination of Universities and the other of a more practical character, intended to fit youths for commercial and non-literary pursuits. But it was most unfortunate that neither the government nor the public did pay any attention to the valuable suggestion made by Hunter Commission.

The growth of secondary education was very remarkable in the period intervening 1882-1902, as the number of schools increased from 3916 to 5124, the enrolment also increased from 214,677 to 622, 868. The number could considerably increased because of the fact that the education department had no control over unaided schools and university recognition was very listlessly given.

It was the Indian University act, 1904, which empowered universities to formulate necessary rules and regulations for the exercise of control and the grant of recognition in respect of each high school. During 1905-1917, the most noteworthy features were rise of national tendencies, the problem of the medium of instruction and the tension between universities and government about control over secondary schools.

The Educational Policy of Lord Curzon and his keen interest in education created a feeling disgust and distrust in the minds of the people as regards official intentions. Right from the beginning of the present century the public has been taking keen interest in educational problem and critically watching and scrutinizing the educational policy of British Government. A parade of their opinions both in press and pulpit was already evident.

The National Congress in its Calcutta session, 1906, passed one Resolution regarding the national system of education. It was mentioned in the resolution that ‘the time had arrived for the people all over the country to take up the question of national education both for boys and girls and to organize a system of literary, scientific and technical suited to the requirements of the country, on national lines and under national control and directed towards the realization of national destiny. That education must be Indian in every respect, it must be controlled by Indians, shaped by Indians and carried on by Indians’.

With this in view for the first time the movement for the national system of education was organized in Bengal and the lead was taken by Sir Goorudas Banerjee, Rashbehari Ghosh and Rabindra Nath Tagore. A body known as the ‘National Council of Education’ was founded. The Council chalked out a programme of national education starting from the infant stage right up to the university stage. A National College under the Principalship of Sri Aurobindo and a Technical Institution (the present Jadavpur University) were started in Calcutta. Some national schools wore also established in Bengal.

In Orissa under the leadership of Utkalmai Gopabandhu Das, a national school was established at Satyabadi in 1909, in the district of Puri. But the revolt lost ground and did not last long with the slackening of the ‘Swadeshi Movement’. During the period there was great controversy regarding the medium of instruction.

Subsequently there was a great expansion of secondary education. The number of school began to increase both in rural and urban areas largely owing to the interest evinced by the public and the generous donations of individuals and institutions. But the problems relating to the training of teachers, their salaries and service conditions remained unaffected.

In 1929, Hartog Committee emphasized upon the diversified curricula in the schools and diversion of more boys to industrial and commercial careers at the end of middle school stage. The Committee which was appointed by the U.P. Government in 1934, to enquire into the causes of unemployment in U.P. was known as Sapru Committee.

It suggested ‘the adoption of diversified courses of study at the secondary stage which should be closely related to the vocational requirements of different types of students. At the secondary stage, side by side with the general courses leading to the university, there should be parallel courses offering instructions in technical, commercial, industrial and the vocational subjects.’