ALLAH’S NAME TO BEGIN WITH, THE MOST BENEFICENT

AND THE MOST MERCIFUL”

AGENDA/OUTLINE

IntroductionAims and ObjectiveRecommendationsStrengths and Weaknesses

William Wilson Hunter

INTRODUCTION:

Hunter Commission was a commission appointed by British Government to review the progress of education in the country since the Wood Dispatch of 1854.

Hunter Commission was set up in 1882 under the chairmanship of William Hunter.

This Commission emphasized its recommendations on its Primary and Secondary Education.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:The commission was appointed with the following aims:To enquire into the manner in which effect had been given

to the principles of the Despatch of 1854.To assess the position of primary education in India and to

suggest measures for its reform.To enquire into the position of the State institutions and

their importance.To evaluate the work of missionaries in the field of

education.To enquire into Government attitude towards private

enterprise.The Commission also undertook an enquiry into the

conditions of secondary education and to suggest measures for its improvement.

PRIMARY EDUCATION

SECONDARY EDUCATION

HIGHER EDUCATION

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

WOMEN EDUCATION

MUSLIM EDUCATION

EDUCATION OF BACKWARD

TRIBES

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

RECOMMENDATIONS

RECOMMENDATIONS:Primary Education:Primary education should be regarded as education of

the masses.Education should be able to train the people for self-

dependence.Medium of Instruction in primary education should be

the mother tongue.Appointment of teachers should be made by the district

authority and approved by the government.Spread of primary education for the tribal and backward

people should be the responsibility of the Government.Fees should be example to students on the basis of their

financial difficulties.

School houses and furniture's should be simple and economical.Normal Schools should be established for the training of teachers.Curriculum should include useful subjects like agriculture, elements

of natural and physical science and the native method of arithmetic and measurement etc.

School equipments should be economical and less expensive. 

Secondary Education:The administrative responsibility on Secondary education

should be handed over to the efficient and educated people.

English should remain as medium of instruction in the Secondary stage.

The fees charged in aided secondary schools should be considerably lower than the fees charged in Government schools. 

Higher Education: The Commission had also made recommendation in regard to higher

education. These recommendations may be summed up under the following heads:

While giving grants-in-aid to the colleges, the number of the teachers, expenditures of the college, efficiency and local needs must also be kept in mind.

Such varied and vast curricular should be arranged in these colleges so that the students must have the subject of there choice and aptitude.

The number of students receiving free education should be limited.Private colleges should be authorized to receive lesser fee as compared

to the Government collegesWhile appointing teachers such Indians should be preferred who have

received education in European universities.  

Education Department:

The number of inspectors in every Province should

be raised so that every institution may be inspected.

As far as possible Indians should be appointed on the

post of District Inspector of Schools.

As far as possible the Inspector of the Primary

schools should be local.

Women Education:Arrangements of Public Funds.Appointment of lady teachers.Appointment of lady inspectresses.Free education for women.Different curriculum for girls.Decent arrangement of hostels for girls.Liberal Grant-in-aid for girl education.Special arrangement for education of ‘Pardah’

observing ladies.Arrangements for Secondary Education.

Muslim Education:The commission recommended that every effort

should be made to popularize Muslim education.Special funds should be allocated for it. More scholarships should be given to Muslim

students as they are unable to pay the fee.

Education of Backward Classes:

Children of these tribes were not being charged any fee.

The education of students should be such as may help them to

establish contact with their neighbors.

It was also recommended that subjects taught should be of the

most elementary character.

It was made recommendatory on the part of school teachers and

inspectors to make judicious effects to remove caste prejudices.

Religious Education:

Religious education of any sort should not be given in the public

schools.

Religious education may be imparted in the private institutions

and the Government shall have nothing to do with it.

While giving grant-in-aid to institutions imparting religious

education as well, attention should be paid to their teaching work

only.

Strengths of Hunter CommissionStrengths:-It was the first commission which gave wide and

comprehensive recommendations.This commission gave some important suggestion for

improvement of Muslim education. The progress in primary schools from 1882 to 1901 was

displayed by number of students in them, rising from 22 million in 1882 to 32 million in 1901.

In the secondary school,  this number increased from 42,993 in 1886 to 6,33,728 in 1901

in the colleges, the number of students increased from 11,501 in 1886 to 23,009 in 1901

. Weaknesses of Hunter CommissionWeaknesses:-Transfer of the control of primary education to the

inexperienced local bodies.Failure to introduce compulsory primary education.Inadequate grant from the Provincial government as only

one-third of the total expenditure was given as grant to the local bodies.

THE END