Hartog Committee 1928-29

 

Hartog Committee 1928-29

The Hartog Committee Report was established by the British Indian government to do studies on how to enhance education in India as the increase in the number of schools and colleges resulted in the decline of education standards. The committee submitted its final report in 1929. The committee in 1929 prioritized mass education above secondary and higher education. The Hartog Committee Report called attention to the wastage and sluggishness in primary, secondary, and postsecondary education.

Insights and Reforms: Hartog Committee Report’s 1929 Educational Blueprint

• The Committee investigated different facets of education and presented its findings and suggestions to the commission in 1929. It addressed numerous issues of education in India. the Committee began by making a few broad remarks on the state of education in India such as:
• Firstly, the committee noted that education had advanced significantly at that point. People generally believed that education was a national priority. 
• Growing enrollment in elementary schools shows that people’s attitudes towards education were changing and that social and political consciousness had also risen. 
• Secondly, there had been considerable growth in the population as well as the awakening of women, Muslims, and lower classes. 
• Third, the committee was unsatisfied with the rise in literacy in the nation even though there was a broad awareness of the importance of education among the populace. 
• With these concepts in mind, the Committee delivered a thorough report. It was useful in that it made an effort to gauge India’s educational climate. It included suggestions for elementary, secondary, postsecondary, and other areas of education.

 

Primary Education: Hartog Committee Report’s 1929 Recommendations

• The elementary education system in India was thoroughly investigated by the Hartog Committee Report. It acknowledged that primary education had not advanced in a suitable manner. As a result, the committee made extremely strong points about the primary school system’s significant flaws before delivering its recommendations. 
• It was noted that the students’ quitting their schools before finishing a certain level of study resulted in a significant waste of resources in terms of both money and time. 
• According to the study’s result, in class IV in 1925–1926, just 18 students (boys and girls) out of every 100 were reading. There was a return towards illiteracy as a result. In order to strengthen elementary education, it thus recommended the following crucial steps.
• Primary education shouldn’t be completely left up to local governments.
• It’s important to take time before making primary education mandatory.
• It is necessary to expand the number of elementary school inspectors.
• Primary schools that aren’t operating correctly ought to be shut down.
• Primary schooling should last four years at the very least.
• Practical courses should be included in the elementary school curriculum.
• Make primary schools the focal point of village transformation, adult education, and entertainment.
• Primary schools ought to employ skilled and qualified instructors.
• Primary teachers should receive higher-quality training. It is time to create special courses for working instructors.
• To raise the pay and enhance the working conditions of primary teachers.
• Right from the start, efforts should be taken to eliminate stagnation and waste.

 

Hartog Committee Report’s 1929 Reform Proposals

• The Committee noted a significant waste of resources in the area of secondary education as a result of the staggering number of matriculation exam failures. 
• It said that the primary causes of wastage were the slackness of advancement from one class to another in the early stages and the persecution of higher education by an excessive number of incompetent pupils.
• The committee recommended the following in order to fix the secondary school system’s flaws.
• The middle school curriculum has to be changed. The topics of utilitarianism should be included in it and extended.
• The middle school level should have public exams. Successful students should receive training in many trades based on their aptitude and needs.
• The secondary school curriculum should contain vocational and technical disciplines.
• At the high school level, alternative courses have to be planned. It should be possible for students to choose the disciplines that best suit their interests.
• In secondary schools, qualified instructors who have received training should be hired. For secondary teachers, appropriate teacher training courses should be set up. For the currently employed instructors, refresher courses should be planned. 
• Teachers’ pays should be increased, their working conditions should be enhanced, and they shouldn’t be let go in the middle of a semester.

 

Hartog Committee Report’s 1929 Vision for Quality Education

• The committee praised the growth of affiliated colleges but criticized falling standards due to poor environment, indiscriminate admissions, and poor work culture. 
• They also criticized universities for failing to achieve their purpose of inculcating a learning taste and preparing society-ready leaders. 
• They also noted overcrowding, neglect of honours courses, inadequate libraries, and unhealthy competition among universities, prioritizing student numbers over education quality. 

The committee made the following recommendations to improve higher education.

• There should be certain institutions established in the nation that are dedicated to research and teaching.
• Every institution should set up its libraries, labs, and research areas properly.
• Some universities ought to provide honors programs, the caliber of which ought to surpass that of the general education courses.
• Universities and colleges should set up industrial and technical education programs. The focus of higher education should be on employment.
• Universities should establish an employment bureau to help students find employment by informing them about available positions.
• The entrance of students to colleges and universities should be governed by strict regulations. Only capable and competent pupils should be allowed to enroll.

 

Conclusion

The Committee aimed to consolidate and stabilize education during the 1930s, proving that expansion was ineffective and wasteful. It was praised for its torchbearer efforts, but the Committee’s suggestions were not implemented effectively, and educational progress was hindered by the 1930-31 global economic depression. Most recommendations remained mere pious hopes.