Wood’s Despatch, 1854
Wood’s Despatch is a major landmark in the history of education in the country and, hence, also called ‘Magna Carta of English education in India’. This document was published in 1854 and recommended a good number of suggestions in the improvement of education of the country as well as the prevailing teacher training programmes. Wood’s Despatch has laid foundations for the establishment of university system in India and opened Department of Public Instruction in the provinces of Punjab, Bengal, Madras, Bombay and North-west.
For the first time, Wood’s Despatch emphasized the importance of teacher training and the need for improving the quality of teaching. Not only the need for teacher training, it has given due consideration to the facilities provided to the teacher including salary structure and facilities for teacher training. Wood’s Despatch recommended the opening of teacher training institutions at each Presidency so as to make teaching job attractive to the public. It recommended grant in aid in the form of scholarships and salary to be increased for those who attended the training programme. Wood’s Despatch framed the outline for selecting teachers, training of teachers, place of training, and placement after training. It emphasized the need for modification in the monitorial system of training, the stipend provided to the teacher trainees and employment of teacher trainees after the training period.
In suggesting a change in the education of teachers, the Wood’s Despatch referred to the system prevalent in England.