T.E. Ravenshaw and the Spread of Education in Orissa
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Orissa Review * April - 2005 T.E. Ravenshaw and the Spread of Education in Orissa Dinabandhu Dehury The renowned British Commissioner, T.E. respects clumsy. Thus several important steps Ravenshaw was an educationist par were taken for the improvement of elementary excellence. He lived and worked as the village schools. Afterwards the primary administrator of Orissa Division. During this education began to develop. In the same way a period he adopted some innovative methods number of prompt and active supervisors and for the development of education in Orissa. civil officers were appointed for proper Prior to his tenure of office, nobody could take inspection of the schools. any significant steps for the promotion of T.E. Ravenshaw actively supported education from elementary level to University. appointment of a separate Inspector for the The Britishers came to Orissa in 1803. The Oriya-medium schools. In order to supervise indigenous system of education was then the primary schools a Sub-Inspector was prevalent in Orissa. The Wood's Despatch in appointed for each sub-division of a district 1854 ushered a new era in the evolution of in 1872. The system of teaching gradually British educational policy. The good ideas of improved and systematically modified. Thus a Harrison took definite shape with appointment number of eminent Sub-Inspectors were of T.E. Ravenshaw as the officiating required for the proper inspection of the Commissioner of the Orissa Division in July educational institutions.2 1865. Generally the schools were classified A large part of Orissa was under the into vernacular and Anglo-vernacular schools Calcutta Presidency.1 T. E. Ravenshaw had respectively. Further they were classified in taken keen interest for the progress of primary, respect of their management as (i) Government secondary, technical and female education, managed, (ii) Government aided etc.3 He which received greater attention than before. instituted honour for teachers and rewards for To popularise English education T.E. successful students. Special duties were Ravenshaw, the officiating Commissioner of assigned to the inspecting body. Orissa Division proposed to raise the status of the school from a Zilla school to a Collegiate In 1866 the "Na Anka Durbhiksha" swept school by opening of college classes. In the away the lives of 30 lakhs people. The beginning the mode of teaching of village condition of education in Orissa was severely school teachers was primitive and in some affected, The Cuttack Zilla school faced a lot 40 Orissa Review * April - 2005 of problems. Mr. W.Hunter an eminent and Dr. W.D. Stewart, the Civil Surgeon of Inspector of Schools writes in his reports in Cuttack both were interested for spread of this respect: medical education in Orissa. A huge amount "The school suffered severely due to the of financial assistance was needed for its promotion and expansion. Ravenshaw very Na Anka famine and 64% of students were keenly recommended the sanction of the scheme. affected". T.E. Ravenshaw the Commissioner Thus the Government decided to start an of the Orissa Division compared the education esteemed institution on experimental basis. His of the State with that of other states. He wrote active action and skillful contribution to this "No other province in the Presidency was so institution is always remembered in the history deficient of intelligent and public spirited of modern Orissa. At the beginning stage the residents who would appreciate the facts, Government sanctioned only 3,000 Rupees per bearing on the prospects and means of people annum for its improvement.6 The Government and who could give practical information to highly appreciated the role of Dr. Stewart and the authorities as would have been the case in Ravenshaw for the initiative taken by them in any district of Bengal proper and in carrying the establishment of this institution. He offered 4 out remedial measures." his free service to supervise and instruct the T. E. Ravenshaw realised that the students. The people of the state were satisfied women education in Cuttack city was totally and a large number of Oriya students were also neglected. The common people were not getting facilities for higher education in Orissa. interested to the growth of women education. The saga of its birth, baptism and upbringing They did not send their daughters to the schools is nostalgic and reminds one of the sagacious because they had bad feelings. The story of stewardship of a few worthy sons of Orissa as Revati high-lighted by Fakir Mohan explained well as benevolent Britishers whose sincere the feelings of the people about the education efforts and perseverance at different points of of their daughters. The Commissioner took time could make it see the light of the day. 7 initiatives for the growth of women education T.E. Raveshaw highly appreciated the in Orissa for the first time. A large amount of devoted and efficient services rendered to the financial assistance was sanctioned for the female orphans by the Baptists. He was not development of women education. The Cuttack only duty- bound, but also sympathetic towards Girl's School was at the beginning started as a poor, destitute pupils and respectful to the primary school. But at last he financed for its higher authorities. He was a distinguished improvement and spread of women education administrator of the Department of Education in our State. In 1873, the name of this girls and took keen interest in providing high quality school was renamed as Ravenshaw Hindu education in schools and colleges. After a Girl's School. dedicated and self- sacrificed service for the An important step towards the spread of education for about 10 years in this 8 development of education in Orissa was taken state he left Orissa on 5th April 1878. when a medical school was established newly When T.E. Ravenshaw was the at Cuttack. T.E. Ravenshaw, the Commissioner Commissioner of Orissa Division, the then, 41 Orissa Review * April - 2005 Inspector of Schools, Mr. H.L.Harrison, forthcoming from the public. The government appreciated his knack and definite work, sanctioned sufficient financial assistance for agreed with the Committee and upgraded the its improvement. In this connection Mr. Zilla School into a Collegiate School. The Ravenshaw wrote, "The establishment of a excellent result of Cuttack Zilla School of 1865 college at Cuttack is an object of personal and 1866 prompted Mr. Hunter, the Inspector importance to myself and also of greatest of Schools to write: "This stands importance to the spread of Higher Education unquestionably first among the educational in Orissa."11 institutions of Orissa, having the largest number The shaky foundation of the Cuttack of candidates at the entrance examination College was strengthened due to the sacrifice contrasted with the result obtained by schools of a worthy son of the soil. The Maharaja of deserves unqualified praise, He concluded that Mayurbhanj in 1879 had contributed Rs.20,000/- the time had arrived for the promotion of to the college. To perpetuate the memory of collegiate education in Orissa." 9 Ravenshaw, the then Commissioner of Orissa The establishment of Ravenshaw from 1865 to 1878 for his univocal support to College is the main contribution of T.E. Oriya as a separate language and for his Ravenshaw for the spread of higher education memorable service for the promotion of in Orissa. At the beginning stage it was only a western education in Orissa, the Maharaja small school. But this institution was converted proposed to change the name of the college to 12 into a full-f1edged first grade college. The Ravenshaw College. famine of 1866 in which about a million people T.E. Ravenshaw was instrumental in perished made the then Government conscious creating numerous departments of various of the fact that the seriousness of the situation subjects in the Ravenshaw College. The could not be realised because of lack of Ravenshaw College buildings are highly proper education in the state, There were only impressive. The new building offered six students on the rolls in the B.A. Class, in accommodation for all the college classes, Ravenshaw College in 1875. The institution there being an Arts Block, Chemistry, Physics, gradually went ahead and provided inspiration Botany, Zoology and Geography laboratories to the upcoming intellectuals. When T.E. and a library erected through the donation of Ravenshaw was appointed as Commissioner the Raja of Kanika, well known as "Kanika of Orissa Division in July 1865, the education Library". The Post-Graduate Department of system developed throughout Orissa. Lt. English was opened. Some reputed lecturers Governor of Bengal, Sir Richard Temple, and professors were appointed. They had agreed to open a college at Cuttack for the imparted high quality of teaching to the pupils. spread of higher education. Ravenshaw gave The college students are generally very active a memorandum to the authority for the and they participated in national and establishment of a degree college.l0 But the Lt. international seminars and conferences Governor agreed to the proposal on the respectively. The esteemed institute condition that a contribution of Rs.10,000 was auspiciously celebrate the Independence Day, 42 Orissa Review * April - 2005 Republic Day, Netaji Jayanti and others. At Gopinath Mohanty, Sachidananda Rautray, present the library contains more than one lakh Surendra Nath Mohanty and Manoj Das. Now volumes. It is truly a mirror of the Ravenshaw their deeds are living in our heart as well as in spirit of dedicated study aspiration for the air of Orissa. H.R. Batheja, the then knowledge infinite.13 Principal of the Revenshaw College, addressed T.E. Ravenshaw was a distinguished on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee administrator who took keen interest in Celebrations of the College in which he providing quality education in schools and explained: colleges.