Growth of Education in Orissa during British Raj

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  Growth of Education in Orissa during British Raj


During the time of British occupation of Orissa in 1803, there was scarcely a single-native who was properly educated. The establishment of English Medium Schools, Colleges and Universities gave rise to a middle class intelligentsia with the new hope and aspirations in Orissa as elsewhere in India. By the first half of the 19th Century, such a climate was available in only the presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras and their neighbouring areas. The western ideas entered into Orissa very slowly.

In the month of June, they established the first Oriya school at Cuttack with only 50 students in the first four months. The number of such type of schools increased to 15 by the end of 1823. The total number of students in these schools was 368 including 63 girls. These schools, however, were intended to impart religious instructions to students.

In October 1823, the missionaries again established an English charity school at Cuttack with the help of the Europeans living in Cuttack with a view to impart English education to a few native pupils. For a long time, the missionaries alone took interest in the establishment and management of schools in Orissa.

First Phase (1835-54):

The interest of the Company Government in providing education in the province could be roused in 1835 when Lord Bentinck took a historic decision regarding the introduction of the English language in the country. In pursuance of this decision, an English school was established at Puri in November 1835.

A teacher from Calcutta was appointed to work in this school. Only 25 students were admitted in the beginning. The school was kept under the General Committee of Public Instruction of the Presidency. The number of students gradually increased and by 1838-39 there were 75 students in the school.

Second Phase (1854-81):

In 1854, the famous Wood’s Despatch initiated the modern educational system in Orissa. It outlined a detailed programme for the growth of education in the country. It suggested for the creation of a separate depart­ment of education, establishment of Universities, and introduction of Granto-in-Aid system and the encouragement of Anglo-Vernacular education. Slowly and steadily, Orissa derived benefits from this educational policy of the Government.

In 1855, the Education Department of the Government of Bengal was created to carry out this new policy effectively. Gordon Young of the civil service became the first Director of Public Instruction. On the eve of the transfer of power from the control of the East India Company to the British Crown in 1858, the education in Orissa was in an extremely backward condition ; more backward than in any other division of Bengal. English education by the time had become firmly established in Bengal and Bihar.

Midnapur System:

The Government introduced the Midnapur system in Orissa that was the system of payment by result. This system was introduced in Balasore and subsequently was extended to other two districts of the province. Instead of paying a monthly stipend to the teachers of a selected number of pathashalas the new system established a fixed standard by public examinations to be conducted at certain centres to which students were required to pass.

For every boy or girl who passed that examination, a small fee was given to the abadhan. That was no doubt cheaper and more efficient system as the authorities in the education department believed. This new system involved enthusiasm among all concerned with the primary education.

According to the report of the Collector Cuttack in 1878, the people supported this new system with great favour and the teachers showed their keenest interest. Thus, by the introduction of this examination system, the prejudice against the Government schools had vanished.

In the new scheme of the payment by result, the number of the schools under the Government control increased rapidly. From 832 pathashalas in 1874, the number went up to 4,368 in 1878 and further to 6,092 in 1881. Students’ strength was getting accumulated quickly.

Radha Nath Ray, the Joint Inspector of Schools in Orissa, gave a clear picture of the success of this system in the words that “The success of the payment-by-result’s system though generally attributed to pecuniary rewards which are annually distributed to pathashalas in the primary examination may be traced deeper to an inherent principle of human nature emulation, which it has turned to account in such a manner as no other educational system did before”.

With the rapid increase in number of primary schools under the control of the Government, steps were taken to reorganize the inspecting agency by the introduction of the chief guru system and inspecting pandit system by 1880. The chief guru himself was a teacher in the pathashala and in addition to his duties he was asked to visit several neighbouring pathashalas and to keep the Sub-Inspector of the area informed constantly about the conditions of such schools.

He was thus a link between the abadhans and the inspecting staff. He was also required to assist the inspecting staff in the smooth conduct of the central examination. The inspecting pandits thus were the subordinate staffs to the Sub-Inspectors. He received pay and travelling allowance amounting to about Rs. 20 per month.

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