December 10, 2018 Monday
Bedtime Story
Most Familiar Passage of the "Minute"
Macaulay goes on to write on the subject of
English as the language of education:
“The question now before is simply whether,
when it is on our power to teach this language, we shall teach languages, by
which , by universal confession, there are not books on any subject which
deserved to be compared to our own;
Whether, when we can teach European
science, we shall teach systems which, by universal confession, whenever they
differ from those of Europe, differ for the worse;
And whether, when we can patronize sound
philosophy and true history, we shall countenance, at public expense, medical
doctrines, which would disgrace any English farrier,
Astronomy, which would move laughter in
girls at an English boarding school,
History, abounding with kings 30 feet high,
and reigns thirty thousand years long,
And Geography, made up of seas of treacle
and seas of butter.”
Here the criticism of native history,
geography and sciences including those of medicine is well founded as Macaulay
is rightly pointing out that in primitive societies history takes a back seat
to mythologies and science is overridden with magical beliefs and quackery.
Something similar is happening with today
modern India where the Hindutva right-wing types create a mythological romantic
past of India’s shining glories and discoveries.
I would end the subject of Macaulay’s
“Minute on the Indian Education” with one last section from it which perhaps
may be known to you since it is the most often quoted passage of his generally
with negative intonation:
“In one point I fully agree with the
gentlemen to whose views I am opposed.
I feel with them, that it is impossible for
us, with our limited means, to attempt to educate the body of the people.
We must at present do our best to create a
class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern;
A class of persons, Indian in blood and
color, but English in taste, in opinion, in morals, and in intellect.
To that class we may leave it to refine the
vernacular dialects of the country, to enrich those dialects with terms of
science borrowed from the Western nomenclature, and to render them by degrees
fit vehicles for conveying knowledge to the great mass of the population.”
Astonishingly prophetic ideas and views
that are present all around us for everyone to see.
These words were exactly what had
eventually completely convinced the Governor-General William Bentinck to pass the
English Education Act of 1835 through the Council of India with the following
four provisions:
First, that the primary object of the
British Government should be promotion of English literature and science to the
natives of India.
We shall consider the provisions in the
nights to come.
Stay tuned to the voice of an
average story storytelling chimpanzee or login at http://panarrans.blogspot.com
Good night Mon Ami and my fellow cousin ape.
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Another great educator and a teacher that I am aware of is
Professor Subhashish Chattopadhyay in Bangalore, India.
While I narrate stories, Professor Subhashish an electronic
engineer and a former professor at BARC, does and teaches real mathematics and
physics.
He started the participation of Indian students at the
International Physics Olympiad.
Do visit him here:
All his books can be downloaded for free through this link:
For edutainment and English education of your children, I
recommend this large collection of Halloween Songs for Kids:
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