Charles Wood was the President of the Board of Control (Introduced through Pitt’s India Act, 1784) of English East India Company. He had also been the Secretary of the state of India.  He had a great impact on disseminating education in India.

In 1854 he sent a despatch to Lord Dalhousie, the then Governor-General of India. Wood’s despatch suggested that primary schools must Adopt vernacular languages. Through the despatch, he also suggested that high schools use anglo-vernacular medium and that English should be the medium for college-level education. Hence, the Wood’s Despatch is considered as ‘Magna-Carta’ of English Education in India.

Features of Wood’s Despatch
As the Wood’s Despatch promoted education rejecting the ‘downward filtration theory‘, aspirants should know all the spheres where the despatch had an impact on:

1. Primary Education

• Vernacular languages were to be promoted
• Education Department was to set up in every province
• At least one government school be opened in every district
• Systematic method of education

2. Higher Education

• Universities on the model of the London university be established in big cities like Bombay, Madras and Calcutta
• Systematic method of education

3. Women’s Education

• Promoted female education on all levels

4. Hierarchy in education was systemised

• Primary schools in villages (Bottom)
• Anglo-Vernacular High Schools
• Affiliated colleges at district level
• Affiliating universities in the presidency towns

5. English Education

• English was made the medium of instruction for higher studies

6. Vernacular Education

• Vernacular languages (spoken by the common masses) to be promoted at primary level

7. Teachers’ training

• Promotion and stress on teachers’ training at all levels

8. Secular Education to be promoted
9. Grants-in-aid to encourage private enterprise.