Wood’s Despatch: The Magnacarta of the Indian Education System

Wood’s Despatch: The East India Company had to renew its charter every 20 years. After the Charter Act of 1833, the Parliamentary Board of Control examined the Indian education system and found that there was a strong need for educational improvement.

The Wood’s Dispatch was issued by the President of the Board of Control of the East India Company in 1854.
This was proposed by Sir Charles Wood, who is known as the Magnacarta of Indian Education.

The report was sent to the Indian government on 19 July 1854.

Responsibility of Education:

Charles Wood was the first person to suggest that it was the British government’s duty to provide education to the people of India.

1. Organisational Level of Education :

• Universities
• Colleges
• High Schools – Primary and Middle

2. Medium of Instruction :

• For Higher Education: English to be taught as the language of instruction.
• For Primary Education: Either the local dialect or English could be used.
• Students should be taught knowledge of ancient languages and literature, including Sanskrit, Farsi, Arabic, and Bangla.

3. Mass Education :

• At that time, mass education was not widespread, so the dispatch stressed the importance of providing education to the general public who had limited access to learning opportunities.
• It has rejected the Downward Filtration Theory.
• There should be at least one government school in every district. 

Downward filtration Theory: This theory emphasizes that Education should be provided to a small section that is only to the noble or higher classes of society, and lower-class people tend to imitate them.

4. Women’s Education in Wood’s Despatch :

The Wood Dispatch emphasized Women’s Education.

• It encouraged the establishment of girls’ schools.
• It recommended government funding for girls’ schools.
• It suggested the arrangement of scholarships for girls.

5. Education for Minorities :

• The dispatch also called for improved education for minority communities.
• Secular education should be promoted.

6. Establishment of Universities :

The dispatch recommended the creation of universities for higher education in Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay.
These universities were established in 1857.

7. Education for Employment

The dispatch suggested that educated individuals should be provided with government jobs based on their skills and abilities.

8. Training of Teachers :

It called for the proper training of teachers to improve their teaching effectiveness.

Conclusion:

Wood’s Despatch was the first education policy in British Colonial India to suggest the use of Indian languages in education and to promote mass education.
However, it still placed a strong emphasis on Western languages and maintained a rigid structure within the education system.