The Routledge Companion to Primary Education in India: From Compulsion to Fundamental Right [Hardcover]

This companion gives a comprehensive overview of the history of primary education in India. It presents an analytical narrative of the progress of primary education as a national endeavour in colonial, post-colonial and contemporary India, and studies its transformative policy journey culminating in the adoption of education as a fundamental human right. The book looks behind and beyond stated policy goals and outcomes to examine the processes involved in implementing positive change and discusses the underlying socio-political factors affecting education in India. The author also shares reflections on the reform measures needed to achieve the goal of education for all in India.

Rich in archival resources, this companion will be essential reading for scholars and researchers of history of education, education, Indian history, colonial history and South Asian history. It will also be useful for policymakers, organizations and professionals working in the field of education.

1 The Beginning: After the Beautiful Tree 1

2 The Baroda Experiment 13

3 Gokhales Bill 39

4 The Mysore Regulation: Right Step Gone Wrong 59

5 Colonial Legislation on Compulsory Education 73

6 Colonial Primary Education: Anatomy of Failure 140

7 Mass Education and the Macaulay Story 163

8 Gandhis Challenge and the Unfulfilled Promise 172

9 The Last Decade: As the Raj Recedes and India Rises 193

10 Towards Becoming a Republic: Envisioning Education for Independent India 206

11 New Beginning: After Independence 220

12 The First Decade: Foundations for Education in New India 235

13 Planning flCÅ