Q.1. Consider the following statements with reference to recommendations of Hunter Education Commission formed during British rule in India:
1. Provincial governments to take steps to provide free elementary education to the poor.
2. Secondary education should have two divisions like literary and vocational.
3. A university need to be established in each province of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Ans. B
Explanation:
In 1882, the Government formed a commission led by W.W. Hunter to assess the development of education in the country since the 1854 Dispatch. The Hunter Commission primarily focused on primary and secondary education, highlighting the need for the state’s special attention to expanding and enhancing primary education, emphasizing the use of vernacular languages.
Statement 2nd is CORRECT, the commission’s recommendation regarding secondary education, suggesting two divisions: literary, leading to university, and vocational, catering to commercial careers. The commission proposed transferring control of primary education to newly established district and municipal boards. Additionally, it addressed the insufficient facilities for female education, particularly outside presidency towns, and put forth recommendations for its improvement.
Statements 1 and 3 Incorrect, these proposals were not part of the Government Resolution on Education Policy in 1913. In that resolution, the government declined the responsibility of enforcing compulsory education but endorsed the elimination of illiteracy. It urged provincial governments to promptly offer free elementary education to economically disadvantaged and less privileged sections, encouraging private initiatives for this purpose. Furthermore, the resolution aimed to enhance the quality of secondary schools and proposed the establishment of a university in each province, with an emphasis on promoting teaching activities within universities.
