Unique Number:
Due Date: 2025
SECTION A
2. Aims and Objectives of Education in India During Colonial and Post-Independence
Periods
During the colonial period, the British introduced education in India with specific
administrative and political goals. The primary aim was not to uplift the masses or to
promote broad-based learning, but to create a small class of Indians who were familiar with
Western knowledge and fluent in English to serve as intermediaries in colonial
administration. Education was elitist and selective, targeted mainly at the upper castes,
especially Brahmins. It was designed to produce clerks, bureaucrats, and loyal workers for
the British government rather than promote critical thinking, industrial skills, or social
mobility. The colonial rulers had no interest in spreading education widely or using it to
promote socio-economic transformation. Consequently, the majority of the Indian population
remained uneducated and excluded from formal learning systems.
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SECTION A
1. Introduction
This section explores the development, transformation, and challenges of the Indian
education system, with a focus on both historical and contemporary contexts. It
draws from Chapter 9 of the prescribed book Decolonising Education in the Global
South by Seroto, Davids, and Wolhuter (2020), which critically examines how India’s
education system evolved during and after colonial rule. The assignment begins by
analysing the shift in the aims and objectives of education from the colonial period to
post-independence India, followed by a discussion on the nature and relevance of
formal education in the country. It also evaluates India’s decision to reject Mahatma
Gandhi’s basic-schooling approach, which focused on practical, community-based
learning. The impact of India’s slow economic structural change on its education
sector is reviewed, highlighting the disconnect between education and industrial
growth. Finally, the assignment assesses the challenges faced by underprivileged
citizens in accessing quality education and how this affects their social and economic
mobility.
2. Aims and Objectives of Education in India During Colonial and Post-
Independence Periods
During the colonial period, the British introduced education in India with specific
administrative and political goals. The primary aim was not to uplift the masses or to
promote broad-based learning, but to create a small class of Indians who were
familiar with Western knowledge and fluent in English to serve as intermediaries in
colonial administration. Education was elitist and selective, targeted mainly at the
upper castes, especially Brahmins. It was designed to produce clerks, bureaucrats,
and loyal workers for the British government rather than promote critical thinking,
industrial skills, or social mobility. The colonial rulers had no interest in spreading
education widely or using it to promote socio-economic transformation.
Consequently, the majority of the Indian population remained uneducated and
excluded from formal learning systems.