•   The Charter Act of 1813 was the first step towards education being made an objective of the government.

•   The act sanctioned a sum of Rs.1 lakh towards the education of Indians in British ruled India.

•   But there was a split in the government over what kind of education was to be offered to the Indians which gave rise to Oriantalist vs Anglicist controversy.

•   The orientalists preferred Indians to be given traditional Indian education. Anglicists wanted Indians to be educated in the western style of education and be taught western subjects.

•   There was no concessous regarding the medium of education either.

•   In 1835, it was decided that western sciences and literature would be imparted to Indians through the medium of English by Lord William Bentinck’s government.

•   Bentinck appointed Thomas Babington Macaulay as the Chairman of the General Committee of Public Instruction.

•   Macaulay minutes refer to his proposal of education for the Indians.

•   He believed in education to a few upper and middle-class students. And In the course of time, education would trickle down to the masses. This was called the infiltration theory.

•   In 1854 during Lord Dalhousie, sir Charles Woods sent a dispatch which is regarded as Magna Carta of English education in India.

•   Wood’s Dispatch recommended:

o  Regularise education system from the primary to the university levels.

o  Indians were to be educated in English and their native language.

o  The education system was to be set up in every province.

o  Every district should have at least one government school.

o  Affiliated private schools could be granted aids.

o  Women education should be prioritise.

Purpose:

•   The Britishers wanted educated Indians to assit them with the administration.

•   Also They wanted to understand the local customs and laws to rule properly.

•   Missionaries also welcomed the spread of western education primarily for their proselytising activities.