HOPEACADEMY
HED4806
ASSIGNMENT 04
DUE 2025
2025
SECTION A
The extract below is taken from chapter 9 of the prescribed book: Seroto, J, Davids, MN &
Wolhuter, C. 2020. Decolonising education in the Global South. Cape Town: Pearson.
Questions:
Discuss the following topics regarding education in India: (Is starting from point 2 and not 1
deliberate? It might confuse some of the students)
2.What was the difference in the aims and objectives of education in India both during the
colonial period and after independence?
0 7 6 4 0 3 1 2 29
,HED4806 Assignment 04
SECTION A
The extract below is taken from chapter 9 of the prescribed book: Seroto, J,
Davids, MN &
Wolhuter, C. 2020. Decolonising education in the Global South. Cape Town:
Pearson.
Questions:
Discuss the following topics regarding education in India: (Is starting from
point 2 and not 1 deliberate? It might confuse some of the students)
2.What was the difference in the aims and objectives of education in India
both during the colonial period and after independence?
The trajectory of education in India reflects the broader socio-political and
economic transformations that have shaped the nation’s development. A
critical comparison between the colonial period and the post-independence
era reveals stark contrasts in the aims and objectives of education, shaped by
differing ideological, economic, and structural imperatives.
Under British colonial rule, education in India was primarily designed to serve
the administrative and ideological needs of the colonial state. The
introduction of English-medium education and the establishment of formal
schooling systems were not aimed at mass empowerment but rather at
creating a class of intermediaries—Indian clerks, teachers, and bureaucrats—
who could assist in the functioning of the colonial administration. As Seroto,
Davids, and Wolhuter (2020) note, colonial education was elitist and
exclusionary, with limited access for the majority of the population.
The objectives were largely utilitarian and political:
, To produce a loyal, English-speaking elite who could mediate between the
British rulers and the Indian masses.
To instill Western values and norms, often at the expense of indigenous
knowledge systems and cultural practices.
To maintain social hierarchies, with education reinforcing caste, class, and
gender divisions.
Mass education was not a priority. The colonial government invested
minimally in rural and vernacular education, resulting in widespread illiteracy
and educational inequality.
Following independence in 1947, India faced the monumental task of nation-
building. Education was reimagined as a tool for social transformation,
economic development, and democratic participation. However, as the extract
from Seroto et al. (2020) highlights, the early decades of independence were
marked by a slow pace of structural change in the economy, which in turn
influenced the educational landscape.
The post-independence objectives of education included:
-Promoting national integration and unity in a diverse, multilingual society.
-Expanding access to education as a fundamental right and a means of social
mobility.
-Supporting economic development, particularly through technical and
vocational education.
Eradicating illiteracy and promoting equity, especially for marginalized
communities.
HED4806
ASSIGNMENT 04
DUE 2025
2025
SECTION A
The extract below is taken from chapter 9 of the prescribed book: Seroto, J, Davids, MN &
Wolhuter, C. 2020. Decolonising education in the Global South. Cape Town: Pearson.
Questions:
Discuss the following topics regarding education in India: (Is starting from point 2 and not 1
deliberate? It might confuse some of the students)
2.What was the difference in the aims and objectives of education in India both during the
colonial period and after independence?
0 7 6 4 0 3 1 2 29
,HED4806 Assignment 04
SECTION A
The extract below is taken from chapter 9 of the prescribed book: Seroto, J,
Davids, MN &
Wolhuter, C. 2020. Decolonising education in the Global South. Cape Town:
Pearson.
Questions:
Discuss the following topics regarding education in India: (Is starting from
point 2 and not 1 deliberate? It might confuse some of the students)
2.What was the difference in the aims and objectives of education in India
both during the colonial period and after independence?
The trajectory of education in India reflects the broader socio-political and
economic transformations that have shaped the nation’s development. A
critical comparison between the colonial period and the post-independence
era reveals stark contrasts in the aims and objectives of education, shaped by
differing ideological, economic, and structural imperatives.
Under British colonial rule, education in India was primarily designed to serve
the administrative and ideological needs of the colonial state. The
introduction of English-medium education and the establishment of formal
schooling systems were not aimed at mass empowerment but rather at
creating a class of intermediaries—Indian clerks, teachers, and bureaucrats—
who could assist in the functioning of the colonial administration. As Seroto,
Davids, and Wolhuter (2020) note, colonial education was elitist and
exclusionary, with limited access for the majority of the population.
The objectives were largely utilitarian and political:
, To produce a loyal, English-speaking elite who could mediate between the
British rulers and the Indian masses.
To instill Western values and norms, often at the expense of indigenous
knowledge systems and cultural practices.
To maintain social hierarchies, with education reinforcing caste, class, and
gender divisions.
Mass education was not a priority. The colonial government invested
minimally in rural and vernacular education, resulting in widespread illiteracy
and educational inequality.
Following independence in 1947, India faced the monumental task of nation-
building. Education was reimagined as a tool for social transformation,
economic development, and democratic participation. However, as the extract
from Seroto et al. (2020) highlights, the early decades of independence were
marked by a slow pace of structural change in the economy, which in turn
influenced the educational landscape.
The post-independence objectives of education included:
-Promoting national integration and unity in a diverse, multilingual society.
-Expanding access to education as a fundamental right and a means of social
mobility.
-Supporting economic development, particularly through technical and
vocational education.
Eradicating illiteracy and promoting equity, especially for marginalized
communities.
