HED4806 Assignment 4
(COMPLETE
GUIDELINE) 2025 -
DUE 2025
For assistance contact
Email:
,SECTION A: Education in India
The skip in numbering appears to be deliberate, focusing the initial questions on the post-
independence period. Let us respond to them in the order presented:
2. How was the difference in the objectives and goals of education in India during the
colonial era and after independence? (10)
During colonial times, the basic aim of education in India was to serve the interest of the
colonial administration. The key objectives were:
Creating a class of clerks and administrators: British needed Indians who were capable
of speaking English to perform in lower-government employment vacancies and
assist them in their administrative tasks. Literacy and numeracy and exposure to British
systems and values were given priorities.
Diffusing Western knowledge (selectively): In introducing Western education, the goal was
not so much to give power to the masses but to create a Westernized elite devoted to the
British Crown and to facilitate easier colonial governance.
Maintaining social hierarchy: The system of education sought to perpetuate existing social
hierarchies and limit education for the majority. Indigenous knowledge systems were
largely marginalized or downgraded.
After independence, the aims and purposes of education in India also altered significantly, at
least on paper:
Nation-building and integration: Education was regarded as the way to develop a sense of
national identity, integration, and patriotism among a multicultural populace.
Social justice and equality: One of the primary aims was to
provide all citizens with equal opportunities, independent of caste, religion, or socio-
economic circumstances, and to alleviate age-old disparities.
Economic development and growth: Education was seen
as a means of producing a trained manpower needed for industrialization and economic
growth. The focus was on the production of scientists, engineers, and technicians.
Empowerment and citizenship: Education was meant to
empower citizens with skills and knowledge to participate actively in a
democratic government and discharge their duties and rights as citizens.
Conservation of heritage and culture: As becoming increasingly
modern, an attempt was made to conserve and promote the rich cultural heritage and
languages of India.
3. Outline the controversy surrounding the nature of Indian formal education. (10)
The nature of Indian formal education has been
a contentious issue for years, involving some inherent tensions:
Access and Equity vs. Quality: Another central controversy concerns expanding access to
quality education for everyone, especially because of the huge disparities of socio-
economic settings. The criticism focuses on the unequal distribution of
resources, where city and private schools are likely to enjoy better infrastructure
, and teachers compared to rural and state schools.
Relevance and Curriculum: There has always been a controversy over the relevance of the
curriculum to the needs of the Indian economy and
society. Grievances are generally expressed about rote learning, outdated syllabi, and lack
of focus on critical thinking, problem-solving, and practical skills. The extract
itself indicates the weak link between education and industrial development in the post-
independence decades.
Language of Instruction: The debate on the medium of instruction, i.e., the place of
English in relation to regional languages, has been a recurring one. Whereas English is seen
as necessary for competitiveness in the global market and access
to tertiary education, regional language activists emphasize learning in the mother tongue for
better comprehension and cultural preservation (as discussed in Section C).
Vocational Education and Skill Development: The passage locates the lack of adequate
support to vocational education at the post-school certificate level.
The problem is about integrating vocational training within the formal schooling system in an
effective way to meet the requirements of the employment market and provide viable
alternatives to the mainstream streams of study.
Decolonization of Education: As hinted at by the title of the book, decolonizing
the pedagogy and curriculum, beyond a Western-focused approach and incorporating
indigenous knowledge systems, histories, and worldviews.
The State vs. Private Sector: To what extent should the
state fund education and how much should private schools be allowed to do on their
own is yet another contentious topic, with arguments about affordability, regulation,
and a potential commercialization of education.
4. Do you think India made the right decision when it rejected the basic-schooling
approach recommended by Mahatma Gandhi? (10)
This is a complex and contentious issue with no easy answer. Mahatma Gandhi's Nai Talim or
basic education system advocated:
Education through craft and productive labor: Education was to be integrated
with useful skills and crafts, so that education would be self-financing and locally applicable.
Mother tongue as the medium of instruction: Emphasis was placed on learning in the
child's own language.
Holistic development: The focus was on the all-around development of the child
– body, mind, and spirit.
Education for self-reliance: The vision was to create individuals who were self-
dependent and could be productive members of society.
As soon as India did adopt its post-independence educational policy, despite some aspects of
Gandhi's imagination being acknowledged, the dominant pattern was leaning in the direction
of a more conservative, Western-fashioned system that took greater emphasis upon formal
academic learning and higher schooling, particularly science and technology as a means
toward industrialization.
Reasons why withholding of the basic-schooling model can have been found to be desired at
the moment include:
(COMPLETE
GUIDELINE) 2025 -
DUE 2025
For assistance contact
Email:
,SECTION A: Education in India
The skip in numbering appears to be deliberate, focusing the initial questions on the post-
independence period. Let us respond to them in the order presented:
2. How was the difference in the objectives and goals of education in India during the
colonial era and after independence? (10)
During colonial times, the basic aim of education in India was to serve the interest of the
colonial administration. The key objectives were:
Creating a class of clerks and administrators: British needed Indians who were capable
of speaking English to perform in lower-government employment vacancies and
assist them in their administrative tasks. Literacy and numeracy and exposure to British
systems and values were given priorities.
Diffusing Western knowledge (selectively): In introducing Western education, the goal was
not so much to give power to the masses but to create a Westernized elite devoted to the
British Crown and to facilitate easier colonial governance.
Maintaining social hierarchy: The system of education sought to perpetuate existing social
hierarchies and limit education for the majority. Indigenous knowledge systems were
largely marginalized or downgraded.
After independence, the aims and purposes of education in India also altered significantly, at
least on paper:
Nation-building and integration: Education was regarded as the way to develop a sense of
national identity, integration, and patriotism among a multicultural populace.
Social justice and equality: One of the primary aims was to
provide all citizens with equal opportunities, independent of caste, religion, or socio-
economic circumstances, and to alleviate age-old disparities.
Economic development and growth: Education was seen
as a means of producing a trained manpower needed for industrialization and economic
growth. The focus was on the production of scientists, engineers, and technicians.
Empowerment and citizenship: Education was meant to
empower citizens with skills and knowledge to participate actively in a
democratic government and discharge their duties and rights as citizens.
Conservation of heritage and culture: As becoming increasingly
modern, an attempt was made to conserve and promote the rich cultural heritage and
languages of India.
3. Outline the controversy surrounding the nature of Indian formal education. (10)
The nature of Indian formal education has been
a contentious issue for years, involving some inherent tensions:
Access and Equity vs. Quality: Another central controversy concerns expanding access to
quality education for everyone, especially because of the huge disparities of socio-
economic settings. The criticism focuses on the unequal distribution of
resources, where city and private schools are likely to enjoy better infrastructure
, and teachers compared to rural and state schools.
Relevance and Curriculum: There has always been a controversy over the relevance of the
curriculum to the needs of the Indian economy and
society. Grievances are generally expressed about rote learning, outdated syllabi, and lack
of focus on critical thinking, problem-solving, and practical skills. The extract
itself indicates the weak link between education and industrial development in the post-
independence decades.
Language of Instruction: The debate on the medium of instruction, i.e., the place of
English in relation to regional languages, has been a recurring one. Whereas English is seen
as necessary for competitiveness in the global market and access
to tertiary education, regional language activists emphasize learning in the mother tongue for
better comprehension and cultural preservation (as discussed in Section C).
Vocational Education and Skill Development: The passage locates the lack of adequate
support to vocational education at the post-school certificate level.
The problem is about integrating vocational training within the formal schooling system in an
effective way to meet the requirements of the employment market and provide viable
alternatives to the mainstream streams of study.
Decolonization of Education: As hinted at by the title of the book, decolonizing
the pedagogy and curriculum, beyond a Western-focused approach and incorporating
indigenous knowledge systems, histories, and worldviews.
The State vs. Private Sector: To what extent should the
state fund education and how much should private schools be allowed to do on their
own is yet another contentious topic, with arguments about affordability, regulation,
and a potential commercialization of education.
4. Do you think India made the right decision when it rejected the basic-schooling
approach recommended by Mahatma Gandhi? (10)
This is a complex and contentious issue with no easy answer. Mahatma Gandhi's Nai Talim or
basic education system advocated:
Education through craft and productive labor: Education was to be integrated
with useful skills and crafts, so that education would be self-financing and locally applicable.
Mother tongue as the medium of instruction: Emphasis was placed on learning in the
child's own language.
Holistic development: The focus was on the all-around development of the child
– body, mind, and spirit.
Education for self-reliance: The vision was to create individuals who were self-
dependent and could be productive members of society.
As soon as India did adopt its post-independence educational policy, despite some aspects of
Gandhi's imagination being acknowledged, the dominant pattern was leaning in the direction
of a more conservative, Western-fashioned system that took greater emphasis upon formal
academic learning and higher schooling, particularly science and technology as a means
toward industrialization.
Reasons why withholding of the basic-schooling model can have been found to be desired at
the moment include:
