7 Colonial Education and its Impact

An Overview: Day-wise Plan

Period Period Topics/Assessment
1 Pre-colonial Education in India, Institutionalisation of Education
during the Colonial Rule, The Orientalists versus the Anglicists,
Impact of Colonial Education Policies
2 Indian Reformers and Education, Case Studies on Aligarh and
Baroda, National Education
3 Assessment: Exercises
4 Assessment: My History Corner
5 Worksheet

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

• coursebook and library
• Macmillan Digital Learning Resources
• Internet access to learning videos on educational websites

21st CENTURY SKILLS

• creative skills
• critical thinking skills
• analytical thinking skills
• collaborative learning skills
• communicative skills
• research skills
• social skills
EXPECTED SKILL ENHANCEMENT
What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this lesson?
After completing this lesson, students will understand the state of education in colonial India.
They will gain knowledge about various steps taken by the British to change the traditional
systems of education prevalent in India. Through this lesson, the student’s critical, analytical and
creative skills are boosted. They are likely to improve on their critical thinking, creative thinking,
communication skills, information literacy, media literacy and technology literacy through the
writing activity. The Shram Daan project will, addition to the skill mentioned above, enhance
their social skills in the form of leadership, collaboration and taking initiatives.

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What will students be able to do as a result of such knowledge and skills?
Students will be able to confidently answer questions on colonial education and national
education during British times at the end of the chapter. They will also be encouraged to use the
skills learnt in the lesson in real-life situations and problem-solving.
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION STRATEGIES
How to accommodate a variety of student learning needs, remediation strategies as well as
enrichment strategies?
The teacher needs to spend some extra time with the students who have not understood the
lesson during classroom teaching. The teacher can go around in the class and individually ask the
students whether they have any queries to be cleared.

PERIOD : 01/05 DURATION : 45 MINUTES

SUB-TOPIC COVERED: Pre-colonial Education in India; Institutionalisation of

Education during the Colonial Rule; The Orientalists versus the Anglicists; Impact of
Colonial Education Policies

LEARNING OUTCOMES
After the completion of the topics covered today, students will be able to:
• learn about the education system before and during the British rule.
• learn about the Orientalist and the Anglicist perspectives on education.
• learn about the measures taken by the British rulers to promote English education in the
country.
INTRODUCTION
• At the start of the class, spend a few minutes to involve the students in the warm-up activity.
This will help to introduce the concepts about which the students will read in detail in the
chapter.
• Encourage the students to complete the exercise given in the warm-up activity. Evaluate the
answers to assess how familiar the students are with the topic.
GUIDED LEARNING PROCESS
• At the start of the section, involve the students in thinking about traditional schools in ancient
and medieval India.
• Note down the answers on the class board.
• Describe the educational institutions that were established during the early years of colonial
rule.
• Mention some of the prominent Orientalists and discuss the reasons for the Orientalists
showing so much interest in promoting the oriental languages and learning.
• Describe the Anglicists and list the main provisions of the English Education Act of 1835.
• Discuss the reasons behind Macaulay believing that English could be a better medium of
instruction than the traditional languages.

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 • Briefly discuss the commissions set up by the British.
• Discuss about the impact of colonial education policies on Indian socio-economic and
political life.
Hints to the Warm-up Exercise on Page 74:
Rabindranath Tagore set up the open school called Shantiniketan. Some students will be
attracted to the concept of attending classes in the open, while some would want to continue
within a classroom. Students should be encouraged to think independently, without any attempt
to influence their thoughts. They should be provided a list of subjects with a brief explanation
on those they are not familiar with. They can choose any subjects that they like along with the
reason for their choice.
Hints to Analysing Sources of History on Page 76:
Macaulay talks about creating a class of people who may act as interpreters between the British
and the millions they governed. These people will be Indian in blood and colour, but English
in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect. These people will be given the responsibility to
refine the vernacular dialects of India, to enrich those dialects with terms of science borrowed
from the Western nomenclature.
Hints to Class Discussion on Page 78:
With the rise of English education, nationalism grew in India. This happened indirectly because
when a middle class developed in India, it began to question the basis of British supremacy,
along with questioning many other facets of the Indian socio-cultural milieu.
INDEPENDENT LEARNING PROCESS
• Either of the following topics can be given to the students to prepare a written report (150
words) on:
Ó Compare the main features of the Right to Education Act of 2010 with the main features
of the commissions set up by the British on education.
The report should have notes on the similarities and differences between them.
Alternatively,
Ó Why is the Wood’s Education Despatch referred to as the Magna Carta of Modern
Education in India?
• The students should have the freedom to research on the Internet. They should, however, do
it responsibly.
• The students can be assessed on these.

TERMS TO NOTE
pathshalas, tols, maktabs, madrasas, Western education, Orientalists, Charter Act,
Anglicists, English Education Act
LEARNING CONSOLIDATION (RECAPITULATION)
• Revise the topic by asking the students questions such as :
Ó Prior to colonial times, where would Hindu students get their education? (answer:
pathshalas and tols)
Ó Warren Hastings laid the foundation of this madrasa in 1781. Name it. (answer: Calcutta
Madrasa)

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 Ó Which group strongly supported the use of English as a medium of instruction for
education in India? (answer: Anglicists)
• Use the Animation given in Macmillan Digital Learning Resources to revise the topic.
• Collect the work done by students and evaluate them on the basis of their thoughtfulness
when tackling analytical and open-ended questions. Share a detailed feedback.

PERIOD : 02/05 DURATION : 45 MINUTES

SUB-TOPIC COVERED: Indian Reformers and Education;
Case Studies of Aligarh and Baroda; National Education

LEARNING OUTCOMES
After the completion of the topics covered today, students will be able to:
• learn about the rise of national education and its impact.
• learn about the contribution of Tagore and Gandhi to education.

GUIDED LEARNING PROCESS

• Discuss the contribution of Indian reformers to the field of education.
• Briefly discuss the developments in education in Aligarh and Baroda.
• Discuss the meaning of national education and talk about the prominent personalities
associated with it.
• Have a class quiz. Some of the questions, which can be asked are:
Ó Name three educationists who worked towards national education.
Ó Give one drawback of the British system of education.
Ó What was unique about Shantiniketan?
Ó What is meant by Nai Talim?
• Briefly talk about the developments in education taking place in the rest of the world during
this period.
Hints to An Extra Mile on Page 80:
The pioneers of national education advocated the primacy of a ‘skill’ or ‘craft’ in education, apart
from a sole focus on reading and writing. Today, subjects such as computer science, design,
law, bio-technology, theatre, music, and many others have been added to the secondary level of
education. This has been done to introduce a vocation-based learning and one which would help
a student in deciding on a profession.
INDEPENDENT LEARNING PROCESS
• The students can be asked to do either of the following:
Ó Write a dairy entry of young student in Shantiniketan during its initial years of
establishment.
Ó Organise a day of Shram Daan project based on the Gandhian value of promoting dignity
of labour.
• Students can research on the activities in either the school library or on the Internet.

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 TERMS TO NOTE
Vedanta College, National Council of Education, Nai Talim
LEARNING CONSOLIDATION (RECAPITULATION)
• Revise the topic by asking the students questions such as :
Ó What was the original name of Aligarh Muslim University? (answer: Mohammedan
Anglo-Oriental College)
Ó What is the meaning of Shantiniketan? (answer: Abode of Peace)
Ó What was Nai Talim? (answer: a system of holistic education that blended and taught all
kinds of skills)
• Use the Test Generator given in Macmillan Digital Learning Resources to check the
comprehension of students.
• Collect the work done by students and evaluate them on the basis of their thoughtfulness
when tackling analytical and open-ended questions. Share a detailed feedback.

TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION
This entire lesson plan can be taught in an online class. Teachers/Instructors may use tools
such as 'presenting', 'breakout rooms', 'raise hand' feature, and others to ensure maximum
class participation and enhance the level of online discussions. When conducting pair or group
activities such as debates, the instructor may ask the students to switch their videos on so that
the activity can be conducted under the teacher's direct guidance.
The animation, game, Learn More, worksheet and Test Generator given in Macmillan Digital
Learning Resources for this chapter may also be used to enhance the teaching and learning
experience.

ANSWERS TO IN-TEXT ACTIVITIES

Warm-up Exercise, Page 74
Rabindranath Tagore set up the open school called Shantiniketan. Some students will be
attracted to the concept of attending classes in the open, while some would want to continue
within a classroom. Students should be encouraged to think independently, without any attempt
to influence their thoughts. They should be provided a list of subjects with a brief explanation
on those they are not familiar with. They can choose any subjects that they like along with the
reason for their choice.
Analysing Sources of History, Page 76
Macaulay talks about creating a class of people who may act as interpreters between the British
and the millions they governed. These people will be Indian in blood and colour, but English
in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect. These people will be given the responsibility to
refine the vernacular dialects of India, to enrich those dialects with terms of science borrowed
from the Western nomenclature.

72
Class Discussion, Page 78
With the rise of English education, nationalism grew in India. This happened indirectly because
when a middle class developed in India, it began to question the basis of British supremacy,
along with questioning many other facets of the Indian socio-cultural milieu.
An Extra Mile, Page 79
The pioneers of national education advocated the primacy of a ‘skill’ or ‘craft’ in education, apart
from a sole focus on reading and writing. Today, subjects such as computer science, design,
law, bio-technology, theatre, music, and many others have been added to the secondary level of
education. This has been done to introduce a vocation-based learning and one which would help
a student in deciding on a profession.

ANSWERS TO THE EXERCISES

Let’s Recall
I. Based on your understanding, tick () the correct option.
1. c. William Jones. 2. a. Jonathan Duncan. 3. a. Wood's Despatch.
4. b. 1917. 5. c. Mahatma Gandhi. 6. a. Charles Wood.
7. b. Raja Ram Mohan Roy. 8. b. Central High School in Benaras.
9. c. Mahatma Gandhi. 10. c. Anglicists.
II. Answer the following in one sentence.
1. Pathshalas and tols were the traditional centres of learning for Hindus and maktabs and
madrasas were the traditional centres of learning for Muslims.
2. Thomas Babington Macaulay was the Anglicist whose Minutes on Indian Education
became the basis for British educational policy from 1835 onwards.
3. The English Education Act of 1835, which was passed by the British, officially made
English the medium of instruction for higher education.
4. The cities where universities were established after the Wood’s Despatch were Calcutta,
Bombay, Madras and Allahabad. A university was also set up in Punjab.
5. The DAV schools and colleges were established by Swami Dayananda Saraswati.
III. Answer the following questions in brief.
1. The English Education Act passed by Lord William Bentinck in 1835 made the
following provisions:
• English became the medium of instruction for higher education.
• Oriental institutions of learning such as the Calcutta Madrasa and the Benaras
Sanskrit College were no longer promoted.

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 2. The universities established as a result of recommendations of the Wood’s despatch were
Calcutta University, Bombay University, Madras University, Punjab University and
Allahabad University.
3. Sir William W Hunter was the chairman of the Hunter Commission. It recommended
that special care should be taken in the extension of primary education in the vernacular
in India and the institutions had to be managed by the local government bodies.
4. The history of Aligarh Muslim University dates back to 1842, when Persian was
replaced by English as the language of the law courts.
• Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, the famous leader of the Aligarh Movement, realised the
importance of Western education and learning for the development of the Muslim
community.
• Under his leadership, the Scientific Society of Aligarh was set up in 1864, for
translating scientific texts written in English into Urdu. In 1875, he founded the
Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College in Aligarh which became the Aligarh
Muslim University (AMU).
• The purpose of establishing this institution was to combine the Eastern and Western
systems of learning.
5. Under the leadership of Maharaja Sayajirao III:
• Baroda became the first Indian princely state to adopt free and compulsory primary
education for all.
• Women’s education was encouraged and funds were allocated for the establishment of
a university in Baroda.
• As many as 2,614 schools were made operational in Baroda by 1945.
IV. Answer the following questions in detail.
1. The British introduced modern education in India because the system of education
in India before the colonial period was traditional. The traditional schools had no
classrooms, no textbooks, no roll call, and not even school buildings. It was run by and
based solely on the requirements of the local people. There was no fixed fee and the
entire community supported the teachers, usually paying them in kind.
A group of British officials felt that it was the duty of British to bring good governance
to India. They strongly supported the use of English as a medium of instruction and
Western rational curricula as the basis of education in India. They also felt that teaching
English to the Indians would enable them to get the benefit of developments in Western
science, literature and philosophy.
2. Major recommendations of the Wood’s Despatch were the following:
• The promotion of Western education, using English as the medium of instruction.

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 • Setting up of universities in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras in 1857, Punjab in 1882,
and Allahabad in 1887.
• Highlighting the importance of vernacular languages, it proposed setting up
vernacular schools in villages, at the lowest stage, followed by Anglo-vernacular high
schools and affiliated colleges at the district level.
• A system of grants-in aid was to be initiated to encourage the setting up of private
schools.
• Formation of a Department of Public Instruction under the charge of a director in
each province.
• Setting up education departments in every province to monitor the working of
educational institutions.
3. The British system of education was different from the earlier system of education in the
following ways:
• State supervision and funding of education was initiated and it no longer remained a
local or regional affair.
• The format of teaching changed completely. Teaching was done through textbooks,
the students were expected to attend school regularly and expected to pay fixed
monthly fees. Students were expected to appear for exams held to test their abilities.
• School buildings came up and a new type of discipline was imposed.
4. Some of the nationalist leaders were dissatisfied with modern education in India because
of the following reasons:
• Educational institutions came to be set up mainly in urban areas and there was little
effort to educate girls.
• Primary education suffered because of lack of funds and more attention was paid to
the expansion of high schools and colleges.
• The colonial authorities used education mostly as a tool to produce a section of English-
educated Indians who could assist them in administering the territories under their rule.
• English medium education neglected the study of Indian literature, history, law and
philosophy, giving Indian students little scope to understand and look upon their
culture and heritage with pride.
• Only the rich and urban people could afford the modern form of education, which
focused only on literacy and not on the overall education of a person.
This issue was resolved through the establishment of colleges, universities and societies
that would impart both traditional and western education to the Indians. Some
examples were Hindu College, Vedanta College, Sanskrit College, Theosophical Society,
DAV schools/colleges and Ramkrishna Mission. Alternative national systems of
education were envisioned by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore.

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 5. Mahatma Gandhi wanted children to be taught a craft because he argued that Western
education only focussed on reading and writing.
• He said that education meant all-round development in children and so, it should
develop a person’s body, mind and soul.
• He suggested that craft, art, technical skills, literacy and education should all be
integrated into one education scheme. He called this Nai Talim, a basic education
programme that would blend and teach all kinds of skills, and provide a holistic
education to an individual.
• He suggested that all children should begin their education by learning a craft. He
wanted Indian schools to be self-supportive. He argued that India could not afford to
provide education to all children unless schools could generate resources from within
and stressed the urgency of more financial independence for schools.
My History Corner
Students as Teachers: Activity can be conducted in the class. The teacher can assist the
designated student-teachers by providing inputs. Help in preparing lesson plans can be given by
the teacher. Once the class is over, concrete criticism can be provided by peers to the presenters.
Profiling an Educationist: Before the start of the activity, the students should be explained
the meaning of 'Profiling' so that they are able to do the activity in a better way by choosing an
educationist of their choice.
Debating Skills: The teacher can divide the class into two groups for the debate. The teacher can
choose three speakers from each group to speak ‘for’ and ‘against’ the given topic. Each student
can be allotted a time limit of three minutes to speak.
Hints:
• British education was a mixed blessing: English is widely known and spoken in India,
giving us an edge over non-English speakers; but, this should not be at the cost of
ignoring our own mother tongue and culture.
• Children should be taught only in their mother tongue when they are young: It could
be easier to pass on language-skills but non-exposure to other languages and cultures
may be disadvantageous in a globally connected world.
A Unique Abode of Learning: The students can gather information on Shantiniketan and
Rabindranath Tagore and they can create a poster presentation on the points given in this
question. The posters can be made at home and displayed in the classroom.
HOTS: The students could be asked to research on the important features of NEP 2020. On the
basis of the information, they can write the answers for the given questions and a discussion can
take place post-presentations by the students.

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360° Assessment: How to use the Report Cards given in the book
• Ask the students to solve the questions given at the end of the chapter in the Exercises
section.
• For self-assessment (refer to pages xvii and xviii of this manual), ask the students to open
the first page of the chapter in the main coursebook. Explain each learning outcome
as given. Instruct students to think on each learning outcome and assess themselves
honestly under the column of self-assessment.
• For peer assessment (refer to pages xviii and xix of this manual), explain the learning
outcomes to the students; provide practice exercises in assessing peers; give examples and
help learners to assess their peers.
• Ask students to form pairs with their partners. Allow them to discuss the learning
outcomes. Students may question their partners and arrive at their conclusion. Reiterate
the importance of honestly rating each other.
• Base the teacher’s assessment (refer to pages xix–xxi of this manual) of each learner
on their participation in the class discussions and activities. You may also give some
weightage to how the learners solved the Exercises and Worksheet.
• This assessment should be holistic and include, along with the chapter-specific learning
objectives, work and study habits, thinking skills, behavioural attitude and social and
emotional skills.
• 
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) may be assessed using the tools of self-assessment,
rating scales, using which the teacher can rate the frequency with which a student displays
a range of behaviours, and an outsider’s observational assessment of students performing
the activities.

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