Calcutta University (Sadler) Commission report 1917

 

Calcutta University (Sadler) Commission report 1917

 

In 1917, the Calcutta University Commission was appointed by the Government of India under the Chairmanship of Mr. Michel Sadler, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds. So it was popularly known as the Sadler Commission. This Commission was appointed for the purpose of making recommendations to reform Calcutta University. Although it dealt with the Calcutta University only, the problems it had studied were more or less common to the other Indian Universities. So the report of the Commission is a document of in provincial importance and it had far reaching consequences upon the development of University in India as a whole.

 

The Commission came to the conclusion that the University system itself, particularly in Bangal, was “fundamentally defective in every aspect”. The number of students was “too great to be efficiently dealt with”. The colleges were “generally too meagerly staffed and equipped to be able to do justice to their students”. The courses of studies were “too predominantly literary in character and too little varied to suit varied needs”.

 

The administration was “unsatisfactory and ineffective as an instrument for the encouragement of learning”. On the other hand, it studied the problems of secondary education, as the improvement of secondary education was an essential foundation for the promotion of University teaching itself. Therefore, the Commission also made radical recommendation regarding the reorganization of secondary schools.

 

These may briefly be stated as under:

1. Separation of Intermediate classes from Universities and the stage of admission to the University was to be after Intermediate and not Matriculation, curriculum spreading over three years prescribed for the first degree.

2. Establishment of Intermediate colleges with the teaching facilities in Arts, Science, Medicine, Engineering, Education, Agriculture etc. These colleges might be attached to the High Schools run independently.

3.  Formation of Secondary and Intermediate Board of Education in each province, consisting of representatives of the Government, Universities, High Schools and Intermediate Colleges for the control and management of Secondary and Intermediate Education.

4. Establishment of teaching and residential University at Dacca;

5. Introduction of Honours courses as distinct from pass courses to meet the requirements of able students;

6. Formation of Selection Committee including the external expert to select Professors, Readers and Lecturers;

7.   Establishment of Inter-University Board for coordinating the work of all Universities;

8.  Appointment of a Director of Physical Education to look to the physical welfare of students.

9.  Expansion of vocational and professional education including Teachers Training;

10.  Encouragement to the Muslim students and protection of their interest;

11.   Creation of different faculties;

12. Formation of Academic Council and Board of Studies for setting academic matters relating to courses of studies, examination, research etc.;

13. Inclusions of ‘Education’ as a subject for B.A. pass and Intermediate examinations

Essential Features of the Sadler Commission

 Broadly speaking, recommendations of the Commission may be studied under the following heads:

a. Recommendations Relating to Calcutta University.

b. Recommendations Relating to All Universities in India.

c.    Recommendations Relating to Muslim Education.

d.  Recommendations Relating to Teacher Training.

e.  Recommendations Relating to Technology.

f. Recommendations Relating to Professional and Vocational Educations.

g.  Recommendations Relating to Modern Indian Leagues.

h.  Recommendations Relating to Secondary Education.

Recommendations of the Saddler University Commission

 

• In the opinion of the Saddler University Commission, it was not possible to bring about revolutionary changes in the field of higher education without making changes in secondary education. Therefore, some fundamental changes were suggested in the secondary education for the sake of improving the university education.

 

• The Saddler University Commission hence recommended that the dividing line between the university and the secondary courses should be drawn at the Intermediate examination rather than at the Matriculation and the Government should create a new type of institution called Intermediate Colleges.

 

• The curriculum of these Intermediate colleges should constitute courses related to Arts, Science, Engineering, Industrial education etc.

 

• After clearing the intermediate examination rather than the Matriculation Examination, the students would be entitled to enter the university.

 

• The duration of the degree course after the intermediate state should be limited to three years. For these two different branches was made in the Intermediate colleges. For the eligible students the provisions of honours degree and for the general students, there was the provision of Pass Course.

 

• Board of Secondary and Intermediate Education, consisting of the representatives of Government, University, High Schools and Intermediate Colleges be established and entrusted with the administration and control of Secondary Education.

 

• The commission also recommended less rigidity in the framing the rules and regulations of the universities.

 

• It also recommended the establishment of an Inter University Board for coordinating the activities of different Indian universities.

 

• Autonomous institutions were to be given more encouragement.

 

• Centralised residential-teaching universities were to be encouraged. These institutions were also to be given autonomy to facilitate their day-to-day working.

 

• Women education was to be encouraged in a big way. The establishment of a special Board of women Education in the Calcutta University besides many other facilities that would help more and more women take up course in school, colleges and Universities.

 

• Provisions of facilities was to be made for training teachers and setting up the Department of Education at the Universities of Calcutta and Decca.

 

Recommendations Relating to Calcutta University and its Problems

 

·         The Commission thoroughly examined the problems of Calcutta University and reached the conclusion that the size of the university had become abnormally large and that the number of students and colleges affiliated to it had increased too much to be efficiently dealt with under a single university.

 

·         The Commission put forth three suggestions in this respect.

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i.        There should be establish a teaching and residential University at Dacca;

 

ii.The teaching resources should be organized in Calcutta in such a way as to     create a real teaching University; and

 

iii.          The development of mosfussil colleges should take place in such a way as to ensure the encouragement of gradual rise of university centers at a few places by concentrating all possible resources for higher education on them.

 

2.      Recommendations Relating to All Universities

 

A.          Important recommendation on university of Education

 

  i. Intermediate classes should be separate from university and a curriculum spreading over three years should be prescribed for the degree of B.A. The stage of admission to the university was to be intermediate and not matriculation examination.

 

  ii.    Intermediate colleges should be established for the sake of completing the first stage. These colleges should conduct teaching in arts, science, medicine, engineering, education, agriculture and commerce.

 

  iii.    A separate High School and Intermediate Board should be formed in every province, consisting of representatives of the Government, universities, high schools and intermediate colleges, for the sake of managing secondary education. The Board should be made free from the control of the Department of Education.

 

 iv.    The mother tongue should be used as medium of instruction in intermediate colleges.

B.     Internal Administration and organization of Universities

The Comission expressed their general views upon the internal administration and organization of the universities as follows:

 

1)          The teachers of the universities should be given more power with a view of removing unnecessary State control over them.

 

2)           Regulations governing the working of universities should be made less rigid.

3)          Provision should be made for the institution of Honours courses, as distinct from Pass course for the sake of abler student.

4)          The duration of degree course should be three years after the intermediate stage.

5)          For the internal administration of university, a representative court in place of Senate and small Executive Council in place of the syndicate should be setup.

6)          A special commite should be constituted for making appointments to Professorships and Readerships. The committee should include external experts also.

7)          An Academic Council and Board of Studies be set up to settle academic question pertaining to courses of study, examination, degrees and research work etc.

8)          Different faculties should be created.

9)          A full-time and salaried vice-chancellor should be appointed.

10)      A Director of physical training should also be appointed to pay attention to the health and physical welfare of the students.

11)      The Department of Education in the universities should be established and education included as a subject for B.A. (Pass) and intermediate courses.

12)      It also recommended the establishment of an inter-university board coordinating the activities of the various Indian universities.

3.      Recommendations Relating to Muslim Education.

 

1)      The Muslims should be provided all education facilities in view of their backward state in this field.

 

2)      It provided for organizing ‘Purdah School’ for the gorls up to the age of 15 or 16 years.

 

3)      It empowered the Calcutta University to institute a ‘Special Board of Women’ s Education’ and set up special curriculum according to the educational needs of women.

 

4.      Recommendations Relating to Teacher Training

The Commission recommended that the output of trained teacher should be substantially increased.

 5.      Recommendations Relating to Technology.

The Commission observed , “It is an important and indeed, a necessary function of the university to include applied science and technology in its courses and to recognize their systematic and practical study by degrees and diplomas.

6.      Recommendations Relating to Professional and Vocational Educations

The commission recommended that Universities must provoke provision for the efficient training in personnel need for the industrial development of the country.

7.      Recommendations Relating to Secondary Education.

The commission held that reform at the stage of secondary education was essential for the improvement of  university education. In this regards it made the following recommendations:

1)     Separations of intermediate classes from the universities.

2)     Establishment of intermediate colleges.

3)     Formation of separate high school and intermediate Boards.

4)     Use of mother-tongue as a medium of instruction.

·         Implementation of the Recommendations

 

There were important political developments in the country in the wake of Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919) under which universities were transferred to provincial government. Besides several problems arising out of the consequences of First World War had to be given priority. Hence, the recommendations could not be put to immediate implementation. However, after the policy resolution of 1920, recommendations received attention. Several universities came in to being.

Evaluation of the Sadler Report: Fore-Runner of the New Pattern of Education 10+2+3

·         According to A.N. Basu, “The report of the Commission contains the most comprehensive and authoritative study of the Indian education system from the secondary stage to the university. It is, therefore, quite natural that they have greatly influenced the subsequent course of secondary and higher education in the country.

·         In the world of Arthor Methew, “ the report of Calcuttaniversity commission has been a constant source of suggestion and information. Its significance in the History of Indian Education has been incalculable.

·         When we look at the present education scenario, we find that some of the important features  find their mention in the Sadler Commission Report. The beginning of introduction of new pattern of education 10+2+3 in 1975 has been hailed as a landmark in the reform of education in India. It may be recalled that the 12 years of schooling and 3 years of degree course were recommended by the Sadler Commission (1917-1919). In this sense the Sadler Commission may be said to be the fore runner of the present national education structure.

·         Likewise the present emphasis on vocational education and technology education may be tracked back to Sadler Report.