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CHAPTER-II

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2.0 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

The purpose of this chapter is to give an account of historical back­ ground of Public Schools, both in and in . It is essential to know the origin and development of Public Schools in England, as Public Schools in India had been transplanted from England.

2.1 ORIGIN OF THE TERM PUBLIC SCHOOL

The term 'Public School' finds its roots in ancient times. In ancient time kings and bishops used to run the schools for the poor. No fee was charged. All used to live together. It was a union of 'classes'. The expenses were met by public exchequer. Thus the name was given to these schools as Public Schools.

2.2 ESTABLISHMENT OF FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOLS

William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester established 'Saint Marie College' at Winchester in 1382. This foundation made a crucial departure from previous practice and thus, has a great historical importance. All the previous schools had been ancillary to other establishments; they Kod been established as parts of cathedrals, collegiate churches, monasteries, chantries, hospitals or university colleges. The significance of this college is its independent nature. 17

Its historian, A.F. Leach says "Thus for the first time a school was established as a sovereign and independent corporation, existing by and for itself, self-centered and self-governed."^

The foundation of is considered to be the origin of the English Public School because of three conditions:

1. Pupils were to be accepted from anywhere in England (though certain countries had priority).

2. The college was largely a .

3. It was to include among its boarders, in addition to the seventy 'poor and indigent' scholars for whom free places were provided up to ten 'sons of noble and influential persons' who would pay fees for their tuition and their keep. We find the 'Prefectorial System' in Winchesters : 18 Senior boys were appointed to cooperate with the master in maintaining discipline.

But Wykeham failed in his attempt to attract those of highest eminence. This was simply because it was not the habit of the English aristocracy in the Middle Ages or for long afterwards to send their sons to school. They provided for them, in their own homes and those of their peers, an exclusive and totally different form of education aimed at the attainment of skills in the arts of war and the etiquette of chivalry. 18

2.2.1 Establishment of other Public Schools

Henry VI founded in 1440 on the pattern of Winchester. It was associated with New College at the University King's College, Cambridge.

Westminister was refounded by Henry VIII and it was connected to Trinity College, Cambridge and Abbey.

St, Paul's College was founded by John Colet in 1510. There were 153 scholars 'Children of all nations and countries indifferently'. There was no fees; only a sum of 4d to be paid at admission. The educational system was adaptation of old system to new learning.

Shrewsbury was established in 1552. It was different from other schools. It was a municipal undertaking. It attracted students of the town burghers and of the neighbouring nobility.

Merchant Taylors school was founded in 1562 as a charitable insti­ tution. A remarkable development occured in then onwards in 16th century. The successful businessmen started patronising schools like Royal or ecclesiastical people patronised colleges.

Harrow School was established in 1571 by John Lyon, a Yeoman Landowner. It was designed as a grammar school for the local poor.

Rugby School was founded by Lawrence Sheriff, a grocer of London, in 1567, for free education of neighbourhood. 19

Charter house was founded by an immensely rich Thomas Sulton, a businessman and financier of Elizabeth's reign.

College of Dulwich was founded by Edward Alleyn, a successful actor and owner of theatres.

Christ’s Hospital - It was an institution for 'fatherless children and other poormen's children.' It was known as Public School from the time of Charles 11.

These earlier schools had common aim to provide education and care for the poor.®

2.2,2 Development of Public Schools During the 18th Century

The industrial revolution changed the face of educational system in general and Public Schools in particular. In later years during the 18th century, Grammar Schools and University education fell to a very low ebb. Their curricula was out dated and no atempt was made to make it up-to- date The 'class' and denominational distinctions hardened. On one side there were tiny 'elite' of the rich and privileged and on the other the vast mass of the 'lower orders', the 'labouring poor' with the class of manufac­ turers and merchants that was born out of industrial revolution. The new middle class was also developed. This new middle class rejected the then Grammar School and patronised private school. While the 'elite' class and rising class of merchants and traders began to give up their earlier practice of educating their children at home and sent them instead,, to these great 20

or 'public' schools. These schools were In great demand and consequently they underwent a rapid change. Schools as charities for the poor became preserves for the rich. They became more expensive.

Yet, some schools like Rugby, Harrow, Shrewsbury continued for the poor and moderately well-to-do of the districts in which they were situated. While Winchester, Eton, Westminister schools started to take scholars from classes outnumbered by the 'oppidans', 'town boys' or 'foreigners* who paid handsomely for their education.

By the end of 18th century old ideals were forgotten. School became a place of independent community of boys, extorting a stimulating or salutary influence than as institutions where any valuable knowledge may be acquired.

The school had time honoured tradition, system of fagging and of prefectorial government. The prefectorial government acquired more power. It became strong. The prefects used to harass and bully boys, consequently students became lawless and rebellians started. That was the downfall of Public Schools. Public Schools earned a bad reputation.

2.2.3 Public Schools in the 19th Century

19th Century was the great period for the Public Schools in general and Rugby in particular because of Dr. Arnold's initiative and personality. He gave religious foundation to education once more. He preserved old 21

autonomy of boys and set ideals in place of conventions. Other schools also followed Arnold's path. In the process it became more influential and less exclusive than the past.

The distinctive character of 19th century Public School was the belief: 'manners make the man.' This belief distinguished English Public School education from education elsewhere. The meaning of manner was 'deep respect for tradition, for character, and for the community.'^

Dr. Arnold was responsible for the reaffirmation of this belief.

The Public Schools at the time of 19th century stood for preservation and defence of a class. It was neither a patrician class nor a plutocratic class, but it was the 'gentleman class,' in other words the upper -middle class, containing the commissioned ranks of the service men, the learned profession, the provincial families which were nearly or quite ranked as 'country' and a steadily increasing number of the second or third generation of those who had made their money in business. It was roughly a union of those whose income about the year 1900 was not less than f 1200 or £ 1500 a year and who were prepared to spend not less than about f 120 a year for seven or eight years on the education of their sons before he went to a university.

2.3 ORIGIN OF CHIEFS' COLLEGES

Most of the Englishmen who came to India as administrators were educated in Public Schools of England. They thought that English Public 22

School model was suitable for the princely families to train leadership qualities among them and produce administrators. Thus a few Chief's Colleges were founded.

2.3.1 The first Chief's College, Rajkumar College, , was opened in 1870 with five pupils. Government sanctioned Rs 20,000 from the infan­ ticide fund. It was not the practice in those days to send the Rajkumars to schools. Private tutor used to come to the palace for coaching the princes. So it was difficult to get pupils in the colleges. The Chiefs of Kathiawar reluctantly accepted to send their sons to these schools on condi­ tions that they must be accompanied by armed retainers who would stand guard outside their rooms all night. The boys also took servants, his tutor and his kichen staff. Boys were also allowed their own carriages and horses. It was totally different from an English Public School.

2.3.2 - It was a second Chief's College opened in 1874 in Ajmer. It was founded to educate the sons of Aristocracy of India. It was considered 'Eton of India'. Though there was a rule limiting private servants to three, it was not observed. The old fashion was continued. Slowly organised games such as cricket and hockey were introduced.

2.3.3 - It was third Chief's College founded in 1882, to educate the sons of the Rulers and Chiefs of . It was founded by Sir Henry Daly and was called Residency College, . A Chief's

College in memory of Lord Mayo was founded at Nowgong. In 1898 it was 23

amalgamated with the Residency College, Indore, the combined institution was called Daly College. In 1939 the college was reorganised on Public School lines and it became a founder member of the IPSC.

2.3.4 , - It was founded in 1886 in Lahore. Nearly five lakh rupees were collected and spent on the building but pupil did not turn up in large numbers.

2.3.5 Rajkumar College, Raipur - It was founded in 1894 as a Chief's College to educate sons of Rulers and Zamindars and their relatives. In 1939 admission was thrown open to boys without distinction of 'class’, caste or creed.

The entire funds for the college were donated by the rulers and zamindars of Orissa, and Bihar.

2.3.6 The School - It was founded by the late of in 1897. In the beginning it was Sardars' School. It is situated on the top of the historic hill fortress of Gwalior, occupies an area of about 150 acres of the plateau.

The school was completely re-organised in 1933 in the form of a Public School on an all India basis.

2.3.7 The Sadul Public School. Bikaner - It was founded as a "Nobles' School" in 1893 for the sons and relations of the nobles of the old . It lost its usefulness as an exclusive institution for and it 24

was therefore re-organised on public / pattern inl944. It was made more widely accessible. Admission is open to all from classes VI to IX. A boy is admitted to a class after qualifying a pre-admission test and personal interview .

2.3.8 The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet - This was an exclusive residential institution for the princely wards of Jagirdars of the erstwhile state of Nizam's of Hyderabad. The institution was known as Jagirdars College actually came into being in 1924. Mr. H. Wakefield, the Court of Wards to the H.E.H. , took initiative in pursuing the rulers to establish this institution on British Public School lines and for the exclusive educational requirements of the sons of Jagirdars. As Jagirdars College, it functioned till 1950. After the abolition of jagirdari in 1950, the management of the Jagirdars College was handed over by the Indian Union State Government to the newly constituted Hyderabad Public School Society (Regd) and the institution was renamed as "The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet." Thus, since 1951, jt was thrown open to all irres­ pective of their caste, creed, language, domicile and social or economic status. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, former President of India became the first President of the Hyderabad Public School Society.

Each Chief's College had students range from 20 to 60. Though these colleges were established on the lines of an English Public School they did not exactly reproduce the atmosphere of an English Public School, Lord Curzon said, "How can a college whose students may range from 20 to 60 be compared with a school of 500 to 1000?" He further said that 25

the English system was difficult to reproduce in India. 'Eton is an aristo­ cratic school organized upon a democratic basis. It was not always so: it has become so in the process of time. The scions of the nobility are commonly sent these by their parents, but there is nothing to prevent the son of a parvenu being sent there too. All mix together on a footing of social equality. This is impossible in India - and will be impossible - even if it were desirable - which I think is not for many a long day to come.' And so, with Lord Curzon's encouragement the Chief's Colleges for another O thirty years continued to be strongholds of the eighteenth century.

2.4 THE INDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOL SOCIETY

An eminent barrister and a member of the Executive Council of the Viceroy of India Mr. Satish Ranjan Das founded the Indian Public Schools Society in 1928. He collected Rs. 10 lakhs towards his target of Rs 40 lakhs but died in the same year. Later his wife and follower Sir Joseph Bhore, Chairman of the Indian Public School Society, carried on the work and founded India's first Public School at Dehra Dun in 1935 with 70 pupils. The Indian Public School Society was a registered non-profit making body. In the article of the association Mr. S.R. Das included the object of founding the school, which was to keep it free from 9 distinction of caste, creed or social status.

The Doon School received great public response and its head-master Mr. A.E. Foot, helped influence public opinion in favour of residential schools. 26

2.5 THE INDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONFERENCE

In 1933 the head-master of Sardars’ School at Gwalior, Mr. F.G. Pearce took a lead to reconstitute the exclusive school into a Public School and named it the . This was the beginning of turning the Chiefs' Colleges into Public Schools.^^

In 1937 one of the house masters at the Doon School was appointed Principal of Rajkumar College at Rajkot in order to transform it more fully into a Public School.

In 1939 a master from Marlborogh was brought out to do the same thing at Daly College, Indore.

The genesis of the I.P.S.C. was a meeting of heads of schools (Raipur, Aitchison College, The Doon School, Rajkot, Daly College, The Scindia School, the Bhonsala Military School Nasik) in Simla in June, 1939. Mr. J.P. Sargent, Educational Commissioner with the Government of India, was also present and acted as Chairman.

Sargent was very keen to develop Public Schools in India. He expressed his view:

If India in the years ahead is to be entrusted with the management of her own affairs, one of her most impor­ tant needs, if not the most important, is an adequate ■ supply of people with a real sense of public duty.... The Indian High School boy, as I have met him, is quite as intelligent as his English contemporary, and often has better manners. But the present type of education which 27

he receives does not always appear to inspire him either with the sense of public duty to which I have referred or with the powers of initiative and leadership, the readi­ ness to accept responsibility and the other qualities which are generally regarded as essential in the best type of public servant. This is not due in my opinion to any constitutional inability but to various causes, for many of which our own previous attitude has been responsible. ...British Public School has been at least as successful as any other educational institution in the world in produ­ cing the qualities to which I have referred. So I have come to the conclusion that one of the things I ought to try to do out here is to promote the establishment of schools on Public School lines with such a nucleus of schools out of which such a system as I have in mind, 12 could be created."

To make the Public Schools more acceptable for the Indian parents, a number of head-masters, among them foremost Pearce at the Scindia School, endeavoured to adapt the good things of English Public School life and administration to Indian ways of life and thought, and so build up Public or Residential Schools in India with their roots springing from the culture of the country, fertilised by the experiences of residential school life in the U .K .^^

The main reason for Chiefs Colleges converted into Public Schools was that, it costs a lot to start a good residential school, and even if there had been a demand for places in such a school, there was not the money to build them. It was, therefore, of the greatest importance to the move­ ment for Residential or Public Schools, that the various Chiefs' Colleges, with their splendid buildings and grounds, should be persuaded to open their doors to the general public. 28

2.6 PUBLIC SCHOOLS DURING POST-INDEPENDENCE PERIOD

The concept of Public Schools was further democratized. Any school can be a Public School, if it is an accredited member of the Indian Public Schools’ Conference.

The number of such schools was 14 when Secondary Education Commission wrote its report. It was 26 in 1964 and it grew to 43 on December 10, 1969. In 1990 the members were 60 which include 19 Sainik Schools, 5 Military Schools, 4 Girls' Public Schools.

Earlier Public Schools were boys schools but later on some became co-educational. Of late, many schools are becoming co-educational.

The original idea of a Public School was total residential school but I.P.S.C. gave membership to day-boarding schools also with a condition that: a) 8 to 9 hours stay at the school a day, during which there should be both class-room teaching and games and co-curricular activities. b) play-grounds to accommodate about 50 per cent of the students at time, while the rest carry on other activities and are not allowed to return home. c) Boarding accommodation for at least 20 per cent of the strength or 50 boarders which ever is more and preferably for 50 per cent of its student population. 14 29

2.7 CRITERIA FOR AFFILIATION TO THE I.P.S.C.

Any school, which wants to be recognised by the 'Conference' applies to it for membership. It is inspected by ^team of visitors, appointed by the Conference and given affiliation if approved. The basic criteria for affiliation are that the school has an independent governing body, that it has a busy and varied programme for a working day of 8-10 hours, that it provides facilities for games, independent study and adventure expeditions and for library and laboratory work, and that it is a community with a full and common purpose and programme.

The criteria was made more clear in the Memorandum of Association:

'...that a school, to be a member, must be intended mainly for Indian boys who should not be excluded from admission on the ground of not belonging to any particular class or creed; that all boys once admitted, should be treated alike; that the school should have an effective Governing body, the meetings of which the Headmaster had the right to attend....',16

2.8 NATURE AND TYPES OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS

2.8.1 Schools for Princely Families - There were such eight schools (supra 2.3). Later on they were thrown open to all.

2.8.2 Schools for Europeans and Anglo-Indians - These were previously meant for, Europeans now open to Indians too. These are set up at Simla and Darjeeling. 30

2.8.3 Schools for the Children of Military Officers - Earlier these schools were meant only for Military staff children now for others too e.g. Lawrence School at Sanawar and Lovedale.

2.8.4 Ordinary Public Schools - Mostly developed in post-independent period. They form the bulk of l.P.S.C. They are about twenty five in number. They are based on Indian culture. Some of them describe them­ selves as 'modern Gurukuls'.

2.8.5 Sainik Schools - These are different type of schools, providing Public School Education with a military bias. The idea of establishing a chain of Sainik Schools in the country was conceived by late Shri V.K. Krishna Menon, the then Union Minister of Defence, in the year 1961. The primary aim of the schools is to provide Public School education to the boys coming from rural areas and to prepare them for entry into the National Defence Academy. Secondly, to remove regional imbalance in the Officer cadre of the three services by making it possible for young men from states without any martial traditions to get commissioned in the Armed Forces.

All the 18 Sainik Schools in the country are administered by the Board of Governors, Sainik Schools Society, New Delhi. The Defence Minister is the Chairman and the Education Minister of various states are the Members of the Board of Governors. The Deputy Secretary (Training) in the Ministry of Defence is the Honorary Secretary and is responsible for the smooth functioning of these schools. There is an Executive 31

Committee under the Chairmanship of Defence Secretary for close control and supervision over the affairs of all Sainik Schools in the country. There is a Local Board of Administration, constituted for each school. There are 18 such schools at present in the country.

2.8.6 Military School*^ - There are five such schools. They are at Chail, Bangalore, Beigaum, Ajmer and Dholpur. These schools were formerly known as King George VI Royal Indian Military College. These institutions were established with the aim of imparting free education to the sons of ORs, NCOs, and JCOs and to prepare them for a Military career. The boys were prepared for the Army Special Certificate of Education Examination. The instructional staff was drawn exclusively from the Army Education Corps. It was incumbent upon all boys to join the service after finishing school.

On Republic Day 1950, the school was renamed "King George's Military College."

In 1952 the school was reorganised along the lines of Residential Public Schools. Admissions were thrown open to the sons of Service Officers as well as Civilians. The boys switched over to the Higher Secondary Examination conducted by the Board.

On 1st Feburary 1966, the schools were renamed "Military Schools." 32

These schools are run by Government of India, Ministry of Defence, Military Training Directorate at Army Headquarters, New Delhi.

2.8.7 Public Schools for Girls

There are only four Public Schools for girls. They are Kittur Rani Chinnamma Residential School for Girls, M.G.D. Girls' Public School, , Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior, and Welham Girls' High School, .

2.9 CONCLUDING REMARKS

This is in short the origin and Historical background of Public Schools in India. 33

REFERENCES

^H.G. Stead, Modern School Organisation (London: University Tutorial Press Ltd., 1941), p.5. ^Ibid., p.7. ^Ibid., p. 7. "^Ibid., p. 9. ^H.C. Dent, The Educational System of England and Wales (London: University of London Press Ltd., 1961), pp. 11,12. 0 Rex Warner, English Public Schools (London: Collins, 1946), p.8. ^Ibid., p .8.

g A Hand Book of the Indian Public Schools, The Indian Public Schools Conference (Bombay: The Times of India Press, 1964), pp. 12,13. 9 R.P. Sing, The Indian Public School (New Delhi: Sterling Publishers (P) Ltd., 1972),. p. 23. Hand Book of the Indian Public Schools, ...... p. 13.

^^A Hand Book of the Indian Public Schools, Ibid., p-14. 12 A Hand Book of the Indian Public Schools, Ibid.-? ys-tS 13 A Hand Book of the Indian Public Schools, Ibid., p. 14. 14Articles of Association and Rules and Regulations, The Indian Public Schools Conference (Poona: Hon. Secretary, IPSC, 1965), p. 2 ^^S.N. Mukherji, Secondary (New Delhi: Orient Longman, 1972), p. 126. ^®A Hand Book of the Indian Public Schools, ^f% w p. 18. *^H.N. Kashyap, A Hand Book of the Indian Public Schools (New Delhi: Siddhartha Publications, 1990), p.78.