Abstract
This article attempts to trace the genealogy of elementary education policy in India under the colonial rule of the Portuguese, Dutch, French, and the British till its independence in 1947. It records the development of school education historically and the policy changes with regard to elementary education under various periods of colonial rule. The political economy of elementary education was traced historically from the time of Portuguese arrival in India in the 1400s. The policy changes and the public expenditure on education during the British colonial period have laid a strong foundation for the modern educational development of free India after its independence. The contemporary school educational structure in India has its strong roots in the colonial education structure and management. Despite elementary education being considered as an important area to focus and develop during the colonial period, it has never received the needed resources to strengthen itself. This paper will lay the larger structural map of political economy of school education till the time of independence to understand the contemporary school education in a more nuanced manner.
Highlights
Modern education policy, as it came to be elucidated over the 19th century, was driven by colonial imperatives
There have been various efforts from the colonial time to improve the quality of elementary education
The Education dispatch 1854, Hunter Commission 1882, and Lord Curzon’s observation in 1904 all pointed out certain issues, such as inadequate educational finance, lack of qualified teachers and appropriate infrastructure, quality text books, and so on, for improving the quality of education, which are still relevant in improving our quality of education
Summary
As it came to be elucidated over the 19th century, was driven by colonial imperatives. Lord Stanley, impressed by the contemporary British education policy where a movement was launched for levying a local cess to support public education, insisted that the government should levy a local tax for maintaining elementary schools The commission declared that primary education had legitimately the largest claim on the resources of the government and it made several recommendations in connection with different aspects of primary education, such as policy, organization, curriculum, training of teachers, grant-in-aid, and so on.
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