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the introduction of English education and learning 2. Many Indians felt that English education would
in India with the ultimate object of getting help them secure government jobs. Raja Ram
converts to Christianity. The company, however, Mohan Roy became their chief spokesman.
did not agree with them.
3. The British were not introducing English
education until then because they were not
F ind Outind Out politically secure, but now the condition had
changed as they were politically secure. They
Find out from your grandparents the type of expected no serious challenge to their decision.
education they received in school.
4. The introduction of English education was
Introduction of English as Medium of aimed at creating manpower that could work
Instruction in government offices and departments

By the Charter Act of 1813, the British Parliament because bringing the British nationals for this
provided an annual expenditure of rupees one purpose was very expensive.
lakh for educating the Indians. Yet for years to 5. The people taught in English education would
come, this meagre amount too could not be spent. pick up English culture and would prove to be
One reason for the failure of utilising this money the consumers of British goods, which would
was the controversy which language should be ultimately benefit them commercially.
used as the medium of instruction. The
Orientalists were of the opinion that this money The system that Lord Macaulay introduced aimed
should be spent on the study of Indian languages at educating the upper classes of India. It was not
aimed at mass education of the Indians. The
and learning, like Sanskrit and Persian. On the
other hand, the missionaries insisted that it should education of a limited number of Indians was
be spent on English language and learning. sufficient to get a large number of Indians for
lower services of the government.
This controversy was set at
Some effort was made to introduce vernacular
rest when William Bentinck
was the Governor General languages in the present-day Uttar Pradesh in
1843-53 when James Thomson introduced
of India. Lord Macaulay
recommended English vernacular languages as the medium of instruction
language as the medium of in all subjects at the lower level; but English
continued to be the medium of instruction at high
instruction and English
system of education in school and college.
India. This recommendation Sir Charles Wood’s Despatch on Education,
Lord Macaulay
was accepted. 1854

Factors for Making English as the Medium The next important step
of Instruction in India concerning English education in
India was taken by Sir Charles
Five factors specifically worked to make English as
the medium of instruction in India. These were as Wood, the President of the Board
of Control. His despatch of 1854
follows :
is considered as the Magna Carta
1. The Christian missionaries were stressing that of English education in India. Sir Charles Wood
the introduction of English education would
get them a large number of converts to He recommended the following :
Christianity. At the same time, there were q The primary motive of the government was to
some liberals and humanitarians who wanted provide western education through the
the Indians to learn the ideals of liberty, medium of English, but the education of
equality and freedom. vernacular languages also needed attention.
Contemporary Social Science-8
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