Let’s get this straight: There
existed no country known as India before August 15, 1947. The British ruled
fully or partially over some 584 princely states spread across the Indian
subcontinent.
This land was loosely referred to as
India. It was only during the partition of the subcontinent that a separate
country known as India was first mentioned and eventually formed.
The Indian subcontinent has a long
history of education. The Indian subcontinent was home to several advanced
civilizations.
However, the ancient Indian education
system was fairly informal in the sense, there was a heavy reliance on
‘gurukuls’ that teachers adept in some skill would operate. Hence, the ancient
Indian education system wasn’t organized.
British East India Company and later
British rulers of the Indian subcontinent were the first to introduce formal
education after they regularized schools operated by foreign missionaries.
The British also deserves credit for opening
the first centers of higher learning- colleges and universities- in India.
And in all fairness, British rulers did
not do away with completely with traditional subjects that were taught at
‘gurukuls.’ Instead, they blended them into the education system.
The reason was simple: The Indian
subcontinent consists of diverse cultures and traditions. Governing such a vast
geographical area would require knowledge of local subjects and systems.
The British get the blame for
introducing an educational system that aimed at churning out ‘Brown Sahibs’ and
‘Babus’ – a popular jargon in colonial India for lower grade government
officials of the British Raj.
That’s not entirely true. British rulers
began taking steps towards educating Indian women as early as 1882 despite
severe opposition from the Indian society.
Their objective was to eliminate
illiteracy from India and rule over a large colony where people were educated
to some degree.
Their legacy continues till date.
Post-independence, the Indian government began reforming various features of
the education system in India.
This vast history is one of the main
reasons for pros and cons that exist in the education system of India.
