HED4806
ASSIGNMENT 4 2025
UNIQUE NO.
DUE DATE: 2025
,HED4806 – Assignment 4 (2025)
Module Title: International and Comparative Education
Unique Number: [Insert Unique Number]
Due Date: [Insert Due Date]
SECTION A
Question 2: What was the difference in the aims and objectives of education in
India both during the colonial period and after independence?
(10 marks)
During the colonial period, the British introduced education in India mainly to serve
their own interests. Their goal was to train a small group of Indians to help them run the
administration. This group needed to speak English and adopt British ideas and values.
As a result, education was focused on producing clerks and civil servants rather than
helping Indian society grow or improve.
After independence in 1947, India changed its focus. The aim of education became
national development and social progress. The new goals included reducing poverty,
promoting equality, and supporting modernisation. Education was now seen as a tool to
uplift all citizens and build a better future for the country. However, these changes took
time, and not everyone benefited right away.
Question 3: Discuss the debate about the nature of formal education in India.
(10 marks)
There has been ongoing debate about what formal education in India should be.
Some people argue that it mainly serves the urban elite, focusing too much on
academic knowledge and exams, while ignoring real-life skills and the needs of rural or
poor communities. They believe the system promotes inequality instead of reducing it.
, Others say formal education is important for national development, especially in helping
young people get jobs and become part of the modern economy. But critics point out
that many schools lack proper resources, and the curriculum does not always reflect
local cultures or practical needs. The debate continues over how to make education
more inclusive, relevant, and fair for all groups in society.
ASSIGNMENT 4 2025
UNIQUE NO.
DUE DATE: 2025
,HED4806 – Assignment 4 (2025)
Module Title: International and Comparative Education
Unique Number: [Insert Unique Number]
Due Date: [Insert Due Date]
SECTION A
Question 2: What was the difference in the aims and objectives of education in
India both during the colonial period and after independence?
(10 marks)
During the colonial period, the British introduced education in India mainly to serve
their own interests. Their goal was to train a small group of Indians to help them run the
administration. This group needed to speak English and adopt British ideas and values.
As a result, education was focused on producing clerks and civil servants rather than
helping Indian society grow or improve.
After independence in 1947, India changed its focus. The aim of education became
national development and social progress. The new goals included reducing poverty,
promoting equality, and supporting modernisation. Education was now seen as a tool to
uplift all citizens and build a better future for the country. However, these changes took
time, and not everyone benefited right away.
Question 3: Discuss the debate about the nature of formal education in India.
(10 marks)
There has been ongoing debate about what formal education in India should be.
Some people argue that it mainly serves the urban elite, focusing too much on
academic knowledge and exams, while ignoring real-life skills and the needs of rural or
poor communities. They believe the system promotes inequality instead of reducing it.
, Others say formal education is important for national development, especially in helping
young people get jobs and become part of the modern economy. But critics point out
that many schools lack proper resources, and the curriculum does not always reflect
local cultures or practical needs. The debate continues over how to make education
more inclusive, relevant, and fair for all groups in society.
