Introduction
Tamil land played important role in the field of education right from sangam age1. The perfection of the growth of education resulted to the protection of literature in ancient Tamil Nadu which included the dominions of Cheras, the Cholas and the Pandyas. During Sangam age Tamil literature reached the senith of its glory. The king patronage the poets, poetesses, scholars and well readed persons. But the education during this period was not systematic. The interested people received education from the learned men under “teacher disciple” pattern. Both genders from all Castes received education2.
The teacher was known as Kanakkayar and alternatively in the past sangam period as Uvattiyar. Asiriyar was apparently a teacher of good knowledge and author of literary works. Probably, the teacher of a large number of pupils was known as Kulapathi. According to the traditional system, the teacher selected certain deserving young men, as their disciples. The teacher was held in high esteem by the pupils as well as by the masses. The Tamil society has a tradition of honoring the teacher and the learned. No age limit was fixed to get education during sangam age. There were popular education institutions in Travancore other than Brahmins. These schools were known as Pallikudoms or Kudipallikudams. They were held in verandas of buildings or in public places, or in the houses of teachers. Universal education was the ideal of the sangam age. Communities like Panas, Parayars, Kuravas, Vetas, who in later days come too collaborated with the most backward section of the population were noted for their high accomplishments in the field of learning. Special attention was also given to female education3. The ideal of universal education received a setback, due to the progress of aryanisation and the increasing hold at Chaturvarnya or caste system. As a result the backward communities like the Panas, Kuravas and women folk were denied the benefits of education. The high castes, particularly Brahmins, established their monopoly in the educational field4. The village school taught reading writing arithmetic. They met under the shade of a tree or in the Varandahs of temples.
Beginning of British education
The Charter Act of 1600 authorized the London Marchants to establish a company to maintain trade with India. The East India Company, founded on the basis of the Charter, established Companies in chief centers of India, including Madras. The company was involved deeply in trade.
Though education was imparted at different levels it could not rise to the level of meeting the requirements of the people and vast majority still remained illiterate. Whereas, the missionaries who accompanied the traders concentrated more to propagate Christian faith among the natives. To achieve this goal they utilized education as a weapon. Hence, they started a number of educational institutions in various part of Tamilnadu with the financial and material assistance of the company. The first school was established in 1717 at Cuddalore in Madras presidency. Irrespective of caste, religion and status, this school permitted all sections of the pupils. Subsequent to this, a number of schools were started in Tanjore, Sivagangai, Ramnad, Trichy and Nagapattinum by the hard effort of Fr. Schwartz and missionaries of Madura mission. These schools enabled to eradicate illiteracy among the natives to some extent. During the administration of the company, due attention was given to popularize both native and English education.
Lord Minto and education
Lord Minto the Governor General of India took keen interest to promote education. His report published in 1801, emphasized the need to open more schools and colleges to improve the knowledge of Indians in literature and science.5
The charter act of 1813 and education
The charter act of 1813 was considered to be a milestone in the history of Indian education. Based on the provisions of the act, the government allotted a sum of a lake of rupees for the education of the people.6 Moreover, Missionaries were also permitted to start schools. The government promised to render necessary assistance to them. But due to various reasons, the money allotted for this purpose, was not fully utilized.
Lord Elphinstone and University Board
In 1838, Lord Elphinstone was appointed as the Governor of Madras. He took keen interest in the higher education of Indians. During this administration, a group of educated persons under the president ship of Lord Norton submitted a requested the government to start a college at Madras to impart English education. The governor conceded the request and established an Institute of collegiate Education on the line of a university. To govern the Institute, a University Board was constituted with a chairman and fourteen other Directors. Among them, seven were Indians from Madras province. The institute functional with two sections. It acted as a high school to teach English literature, regional languages, philosophy and science. It also served as a college to impart higher education in literature, philosophy and science.
The Board of University was started in 1840 with George Norton as president. The first section of the University Board namely the high school was started in 1841. It started in a rental building at Egmore. The first headmaster of this school was Eyre Barton Powell.7 Consequently four government schools were started in four districts in Madras province. But the college courses were started in 1853. Thus teaching was upgraded from high school level to University level.8
– Gladies Flora.C
Ph.D Research Scholar, Madurai Kamaraj University.
References
1. Sangam age : It is the age to which sangam literature belonged. Sangam flourished between the first three centuries of the Christian era. The poets who lived in the sangam age composed a number of Tamil works. Tamil works mentioned about the existence of three sangams among them the third sangam
2. Gopalakrishnan, M., Gazatters of India, Madurai 1995, p. 829.
3. Kunjan Pillai, P.N., Studies In Kerala History, Kerala, 1980, p. 267.
4. Fr. Robert de Nobili : Among the Christian missions, the contribution of Jesuits to Madura Mission was remarkable. A number of missionaries served in this mission. This mission with a different vision was started in Tamil Nadu by Fr. Robert Nobili. Nobili reached Madurai in November, 1606 Jesuit mission head at Malabar, who he arrived in Madurai.
5. Khurana, K.L., Modern India, 1707-1967 A. D, Agra, 1994, p. 312.
6. Sawminathan, A., Indian History, 1773-1963, Madras, 1988, p. 62.
7. Eyre Burton Powell: He was born in 1819. He left for Madras 1848 to join as a clerk in the High School, Madras, later rising to become headmaster and eventually, Principal, when the school was elevated to the status of a college. Powell was appointed Director of Public Instruction for the Madras Presidency in 1862 and served from 1862 to 1875. In 1866, Powell was made a Companion of the Order of the Star of India. He died on 10 November 1904. Powell’s statue is present in the campus of the Presidency College, Madras.
8. Lord Elphinsten’s Minute of Lord Elphinsten, February 12, 1841, Public Consultations, March 2, 1841, Disposal No. 15, Vol. 721, Para 13.