The present Indian education system was not built in a day. Rather, this system has emerged as the result of many years of efforts, changes, and reforms in education. In the year 1857, administrative power was transferred from the East India Company to the British Queen and more emphasis was placed on the development of education in British India. It was felt that even the grant system included in Wood’s manifesto was not being implemented properly. For this reason, the first Indian Education Commission was established by Lord Ripon on February 3, 1882. Hunter Education Commission was established in 1882 by Lord Ripon (1880-1884 AD) in British-ruled India. It was known as the ‘Education Commission of India’. This commission was set up under the chairmanship of William Wilson Hunter to review the progress of the Indian education system as enunciated in the Declaration of Charles Wood.
Eight Indians, prominently Syed Mahmud, Bhudev Mukherjee, Anand Mohan Bose, and K. T. Telang were included as members in this commission. The objective of the Hunter Commission was to review the education system at the primary and secondary levels. Its task was to find the reasons for the failures of Wood’s education system. Apart from this, its task was to find the shortcomings of the then primary education system in India and suggest ways and methods overcome those problems.
Reasons Behind the formation of the Hunter Education Commission:
- The British East India Company lost its administrative powers over India as a result of the Revolt of 1857, and those authorities were passed to the British Crown.
- Following this move, it was widely felt that the educational situation in the country needed to be re-evaluated as the grant-in-aid system introduced by Wood’s 1854 dispatch was not implemented as expected.
- All of these factors prompted a campaign in London, which resulted in the formation of the “General Council of Education in India.”
- From 1880 until 1884, Lord Ripon served as Viceroy of India and was asked by the General Council of Education in India to oversee the state of education in India.
- As a result, in 1882, Lord Ripon established the Indian Education Commission, with Sir William Hunter as its chairman.
Main Functions of the Hunter Commission:
- Evaluation of primary and secondary education.
- Reviewing state institutions.
- To look at the contributions of Christian missionaries in the field of education.
- To review the government’s attitude toward the private sector.
Main Suggestions of the Hunter Commission Related to Primary Education:
- Primary education should be seen as mass education.
- The qualities of self-reliance should be inculcated in the individual through primary education.
- The medium of instruction at the primary stage should be in the mother tongue of the individual.
- Teachers should be appointed by the District Magistrate and authorized by the government.
- School buildings, types of equipment, and furniture should be durable and economical.
- Teacher training should be provided through normal schools.
- The curriculum should include useful subjects such as agriculture, natural and physical sciences, and local methods of arithmetic and measurement.
- It should be the responsibility of the government to spread primary education among the tribal tribes and backward castes.
- School fees should be charged to the students based on their financial capacity.
The Hunter Commission studied the policy implemented by the Wood Declaration of 1854 in the field of education and concluded as follows:
1. Primary Education:
- The Hunter Commission gave its suggestions in every field of primary education. It determined the policies of primary education, organization, economic system, training of teachers, and curriculum of schools.
- It suggested that primary education should be given to the students in their mother tongue only.
- Students who belong to backward classes and tribals should also be provided education. To establish that Hunter Commission placed the responsibility of primary education on local bodies, district boards, municipal boards, town areas, etc.
- The Hunter Commission in its suggestions suggested that funds should be made separately for primary education. Different types of financial assistance should be provided to urban and rural primary schools.
- The Hunter Commission also mandated the establishment of teacher training schools. Training schools should be established at such places from where the number of teachers can be easily available in vacant schools. and practical subjects should be included in the curriculum.
2. Secondary Education:
- The Hunter Commission mentioned that the responsibility of secondary education should be completely handed over to the Indians.
- Indian people should also be given adequate opportunities to work in the field of education. Whereas the difficulties in the way of education should be removed through grants and financial assistance.
3. Higher Education:
- Hunter Commission has also given its suggestions regarding higher education. He told that financial assistance in the field of higher education should be given to teachers, students, educational institutions, laboratories, libraries, and reading rooms.
- Financial assistance should be made available after looking at all the things like scientific equipment, building, furniture, etc. So that the development of higher education institutions can be done properly.
4. Religious Education:
- Concerning religious education also, the Hunter Commission suggested that whatever schools are being run by the government. There should not be any kind of place for religious education in those schools.
- Whereas non-government institutions, private schools, may or may not have a provision for religious education depending on the management of the school.
5. Female Education:
- The Hunter Commission has also given various suggestions regarding women’s education. It suggested having separate courses for boys and girls.
- Life useful subjects should be included in the curriculum for the girl child. They should also be given practical knowledge of life.
- Where arrangements are being made for the education of girls. Women teachers should be appointed there while other officers should also be women.
6. Missionary Education:
- The schools established by missionaries were not considered indigenous schools. The Hunter Commission said that India is a country of many religions, castes, and traditions. Where the responsibility of higher education should not be given to any institution. To tackle this more efforts were also made by the missionaries in the field of higher education.
7. Special Education Scheme:
- Hunter Education Commission pointed out and suggested that special types of schools should be opened for the native kings, Jagirdars, and talukdars. In which the system of education will be better than other schools.
8. Education of Backward and Tribal Areas:
- The commission also suggested that education is for all and the people of backward classes, scheduled castes, tribes, and tribals should also be given full rights and full opportunities for education.
- Untouchability based on caste, class, creed, etc. should be abolished and different types of problems should also be solved judiciously and wisely. It suggested that special types of schools should also be arranged for the residents of tribal areas and hilly areas.
9. Grants in aid:
- Under the Wood Declaration, the grant-in-aid system was implemented in India but there was a lack of uniformity. Its form was different in different states of India. As in Madras, the salary was given in the form of a grant. But in Mumbai, they used to pay salaries based on exam results.
- The salary was given as a fixed practice in central India and northern India. Therefore, the Hunter Commission recommended that there should be uniformity in the grant system in all the states of India.
Conclusion:
The recommendations given by the Hunter Commission were practical which led to rapid development in the field of education. Efforts were made to make education theoretical and practical by incorporating subjects like agriculture, physics, etc. in primary education.
In the recommendations of the Hunter Commission, special emphasis was given to the education of backward castes, women’s education, Muslim education, etc. The Hunter Commission asked to entrust the responsibility of education to the Indians, which would awaken a new consciousness towards education in the Indians.