Thomas Macaulay’s Minutes in 1835: The Governor General, Lord William Bentinck appointed Macaulay to settle the dispute between Orientalists and Anglicists. He wrote a report on the ‘Indian system of Education’. Macaulay favoured the views of Anglicists. He recommended in 1835, that the accumulated amount (23 lakh) must be exclusively used for the study of western system of education in India through English as the medium of education. He had great contempt for Indian customs and literature. He said that a single shelf of a good European Library was worth the whole native Literature of India and Arabia.

Macaulay aimed to create a class of persons, who should be ‘Indian in blood and colour, but English in tastes, in opinions and intellect’. This report was also aimed at converting people to Christianity, preparing Indians to work for the company and also the spread of English education. English education infused in to them the spirit of nationalism.

Charles Wood’s Despatch (Report) in 1854 : Sir Charles Wood prepared and submitted a report to the Government in 1854. It touched upon all aspects of the Indian education (Scheme of future education of India). The implementation of the report led to tremendous changes in primary and secondary education in India. It is considered as ‘The Magna Carta’ of the English education in India. 

The report made the following important recommendations.

• Emphasis on western Education: The main object of the education was the teaching of western Education. The dissemination of western thoughts, literature, science and art should be the ultimate aim of education. 
• Company should start Primary schools in villages, High schools in towns and Colleges at district level. 
• Vernacular Education: Primary education should be in the vernacular languages and English medium for higher education. Opportunities should be given for the study of Indian languages. 
• Grant-in-Aid: To provide Grant-in-Aid to private Educational institutions. 
• Department of Public Instruction : Company should set up a Department of Public Instruction to supervise the education in all the Provinces. 
• Technical Education: Institutions must be stalled to offer specialized training in the technical fields. Training of teachers must also be carried out through separate schools meant for the purpose. 
• Establishment of Universities: Universities at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras on the model of London Uni versity must be opened. 
• Encouragement of women’s education: Women must be encouraged to attend schools. The report gave support to women’s education. Lord Dalhousie accepted these recommendations and brought in noteworthy changes in Indian Education.