INTRODUCTION:
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.
PROGRESS :
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.
PROBLEMS:
Though there was demand for mother tongue as the medium of instruction at the secondary level, it was vehemently opposed by the supporter of English for following reasons:
(i) The pupil’s knowledge of English will deteriorate;
(ii) Suitable textbooks in Modem Indian Language would not be available;
(iii) There would be difficulties in case of provinces speaking more than one Indian Language;
(iv) English is a language of inter-provincial importance.
SUGGESTIONS MADE :
However, the ultimate result was that, English continued to be the medium of instruction in secondary schools. During the same period two agencies were giving recognition to the secondary schools; Education Department for grants-in-aid and university for permitting them to present their candidates in Matriculation Examination.
The Calcutta University Commission was appointed in 1917 under the Chairmanship of late Michael Sadler, the then Vice Chancellor of Leeds University. The Commission pointed out that the improvement of university education depends upon the improvement of secondary education and made following recommendations:
(i) The stage of admission to the university should be that of present intermediate instead of the present matriculation;
(ii) Two secondary school examinations, the first corresponding to the present matriculation and the second corresponding to the present intermediate;
(iii) Providing training at the intermediate stage should be transferred from the universities to the new institutions to be known as Intermediate Colleges;
(iv) For smooth administrative control of secondary and intermediate education. A Board of Secondary and Intermediate Education’, consisting of the representatives of Government, University, High School and Intermediate College should be established.
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.’
The Committee laid stress on the abolition of intermediate college and extension of secondary stage by one year.
In 1936-37, two experts in the field of education, Messrs Abbot and Wood were invited to give expert guidance to the government, on certain problems of educational reorganization, specially on the field of vocational education. They suggested a complete hierarchy of vocational institutions parallel with the hierarchy of institutions imparting general education and opined for a new type of technical institution called “polytechnic”.
The Central Advisory Board of Education set up by the Government of India submitted a comprehensive report on post-war educational development in 1944. This was known as “Sargent Report” after Sir John Sargent, who was the educational adviser to the government of India. It recommended that ‘the high school course should cover six years and the normal age of admission being eleven years.
High schools should be of two types, academic and technical and should provide a good all-round education combined with some preparation in the later stages for the careers which pupils will pursue after leaving schools. The curriculum in all cases should be as varied as circumstances permit.
CONCLUSION:
Till independence, such were the important recommendations made by different Committees and Commissions. There was rapid expansion of secondary education and the number of schools by the year 1947-48, was 12693 with an enrolment of 2953995 pupils. The corresponding figures for 1916-17 were 4883 and 924, 470 respectively.
Following may be attributed to this rapid expansion:
(i) There was general demand for secondary education;
(ii) Number of secondary schools were established in rural and semi-urban areas with a view to bring out secondary education within the easy reach of the children of those localities;
(iii) The friction between University and Education Department was removed;
(iv) English ceased to be the only medium of instruction and the mother tongue was adopted as an alternative medium of instruction:
(v) The curricula were widened and vocational courses were provided;
(vi) Considerable improvement in standard of teaching owing to the rise in the number of trained teachers.
But the general state of affairs was far from satisfactory towards the end of British Rule in this country.
