Magna Carta of Indian education and its influence on the Indian education system

The Magna Carta and its influence on the Indian education system

___________________________________________________________________________________

Whatever you say but you can't deny "Education is the backbone of any society for creating a better generation and also to build a better human". So the importance of education and its values were realized and identified in our country quite a long time back by the British. Albeit the British had taken numerous things from our nation, yet they had likewise donated many beneficial things to us as a trade-off. 

So, "Megna Carta of education" is one of the models among those who helped to promote the western education system in India. Now I believe that you are more eager to know a little better about  Megna Carta, right? So below are the history.

What is Megna Carta:- (Why wood's despatch is called Magna Carta of Indian education)

Basically, the concept of "Megna Carta" or "Megna Charta" of education came from an act known as "Woods Dispatch/Despatch". "Woods Dispatch" was an act that was introduced by Sir Charles Wood in the year 1854. In the year 1853, Sir Charles Wood was the director of Brtish East India Company, and due to the renewal of East India Company in that year, the need for defining educational policy had become obvious.

Hence in the year 1854, when Sir Charles Wood was the Secretary of state of India sent a dispatch to Lord Dalhousie (The governor-general of India at that time) and claimed that the need for promoting western education in India had become apparent due to the recent reforms made in British East India company. Wood also suggested that the primary school in India must adopt vernacular languages as a medium of education, while high schools must adopt Anglo-vernacular languages, and at the college level, English ought to be the mode of education.

So, this way the "Woods Dispatch/Despatch" was formed and which was later known as "Megna Carta or Megna Charta" of education in India.

The actual meaning of Megna Carta:

Actually "Megna Carta" is a Latin term and which stands for "Great Charter".The meaning of it is "Great Paper". It is otherwise called "Magna Carta Libertatum" which means "Great Charter of Freedoms". This is an English legal charter, originally issued at Runnymede, June 15, 1215. Megna Carta was started by the Barons i.e (The subjects of King John of England). At that time, the primary motive for the adoption of this charter was to restrict the power of the king through specific laws and secure their privileges. 

What were the primary recommendations of Woods Dispatch or Megna Carta:

      

      1. Grant in-aid system: 

           In this recommendation, it was advised to all the schools to follow the rules and regulations that are prescribed by the government for the better regulation of the grant and also ordered the schools that to must charge the fees from the students who came to school.

      2. Establishment of graded schools:

             It was recommended to establish a network of graded schools all over the country. i.e (Both Elementary and Secondary Schools)

      3. Establishments of Universities:

        For this suggestion Education departments were established in every province. Also, as a result, India got its first three universities for higher education in the year 1857 i.e Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras university on the pattern of London University. It was also advised to operate the various departments in the Universities not only of English but also of Arabic, Sanskrit, and Persian as well as Law and Civil Engineering.  

       

      4. Education of Women: 

        This act also recommended boosting women's education in our society so that women should not stay backward than males in terms of education and empowerment.

      5. Training of Teachers: 

       Training of teachers was also recommended through this act so that, students should not abstain from getting a better quality education. 

      6. Muslim Education:

     In comparison to the Muslim population in India, they have been the most educationally backward group even till today. Hence this act came up with a special recommendation to boost Muslim education in the entire country.

      7. Education for Employment:

       Education should not limit only to college and universities but it should generate employment and good leadership in society. Consequently "education for employment" was also highlighted in the act. 

      8. Policy of religious neutrality was also included in the recommendation.

N.B:   Above all, the development of elementary education was the primary focus in any aspects through this act.

How Magna Carta helped India in education: (Why Wood's despatch is called Magna Carta of Indian education)

Although this was a nice act suggested by Sir Charles Wood, the British were also been profited from this. With this act, Brtish had the option to make an enormous clerical workforce that assisted them to complete their work at a very nominal cost.

With the help of this act, India got its first three universities i.e Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras university for higher education. So this was likewise an extraordinary accomplishment for India around then to make reference to.

"Magna Carta or  Woods Dispatch" was an act that was implemented by the British rulers during pre-independent India. However, when they left, the Indian education system started to follow the same pattern of the act to spread education in the country hence it is known as the "Magna Carta of Indian Education".