2. British government educational policies and reports
(1900-1947)
The early part of the century saw a series of governmental
reports that brought to public notice the poor state of
Anglo-Indian education. In 1905 the Bengal School Code
(c.f. discussed above, in Ch.3 pp.88) became the European
Schools' Code and was approved by government, but there
were not enough teachers to implement the Code in all the
Anglo-Indian schools.
There were no teachers for the Indian languages, or for
vocational and technical skills. The Anglo-Indians were
becoming deskilled, and in 1902, out of a total population
of 32,130 European and Anglo-Indian children, 7000 were
receiving no education. By 1907, the student population had
decreased. (1)
This was despite the introduction, in 1906, of the Senior
Cambridge Examination. These Cambridge examinations were
called the
... bugbear of Anglo-Indian education, as they
offered no blend, no evidence of synthesis
between East and West. (2)
These examinations were important and served as
occupational entrance requirements for higher education.
The examinations created a pattern of privilege which
justified an elaborate facade. The curriculum was non-
integrative. The Anglo-Indians dropped out of education at
an early age to enter subordinate jobs. The Anglo-Indians
were disinterested in an educational system which denied
them participatory control of their economic life.
In 1910, the Laidlaw Conference established that a large
population of Anglo-Indians were living in appalling
conditions and approved grants for providing scholarships
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