Roles of Government and Private Enterprises in the Progress of Education in Punjab during Provincial Autonomy: 1937-47

Abstract

The Federal Government formed various Committees ,Commissions and Acts like Wood’s Despatch, Hartong (Auxiliary) Committee, Sargent Plan, Hunter and Sadler Commissions, Wardha Scheme, Indian Universities Act and Provincial Autonomy Act  to  take concrete steps to increase the admission of pupils, lower their dropout rate , improve their  attendance in schools and follow the policy of consolidation instead of expansion. Grants were sanctioned to improve efficiency of schools, for better training of teachers, use of the mother-tongue as the medium of instruction at secondary level and transferring the Intermediate classes to high schools. During Provincial Autonomy, the Punjab government passed Compulsory Primary Education Act; made primary education free and a Provincial Subject and gave it a rural orientation; opened new schools in backward areas and Intermediate colleges at mofussil places. But paucity of funds acted as a dragger.Effort to spread education was supplemented by Christian Missionaries, Arya Samaj, Singh Sabhas and the Muslim Anjumans.