- Grants-in-Aid system was introduced.
- Establishment of universities was recommended.
- English as a medium of instruction at all levels of education was recommended.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a)
Charles Wood was a British Liberal politician and Member of Parliament. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1846 to 1852. He later became the President of the Board of Control of the East India Company. In 1854, the “Wood’s despatch” was sent to the Governor General Lord Dalhousie by him. This document is considered as the “Magna Carta of English Education in India”.
Statement 1 is correct: As per this Wood’s Despatch an education department was to be set up in every province along with the provision of grants in aid to the affiliated private schools.
Statement 2 is correct: The Wood’s Despatch also recommended the establishment of three universities in the Presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras on the model of the London University.
Statement 3 is not correct: It also wanted to promote the study of English as well as Indian regional languages and classical languages like Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit. It did not recommend English as a medium of instruction at all levels of education, only for higher studies it was recommended.
Elimination Technique:
Wood’s Dispatch recommended English as a medium of instruction for higher education. Statement 3 is eliminated. Thus, Option (a) is the correct answer.
