EVOLUTION OF EDUCATION IN KERALA

2. EVOLUTION OF EDUCATION
IN KERALA

3. INTRODUCTION
Education has occupied a prominant place on the educational map
of the country from time immemorial. Based on the available
details educational history of Kerala can be classified into
different periods such as
1) Education during sangam age
2) Education during post sangam age
3) Education during Kulashekara period
4) Education under provincial rulers
5) Education during post independent period

4. Education During Sangam Age
 The sangam age can be dated from the beginning of the christian era to the
middle of the 7th century
Kerala during this period formed the part of the large Tamil kingdom
(Tamilakam) and the predominant language was Tamil.
The land was divided in to 5 divisions on the basis of topography , viz; Venad,
Kuttanadu, Kudanadu, Puzhinadu and Karkanadu
Samgam literally means “academy” and these great work in Tamil written in
the first four centuries of the Christian era.
Education was universal in Kerala and there was a high level of literacy during
the sangam age epoch.

5.  The sangam literature matter clear that people unreceptive of
sectarian or sex consideration were untitled to get the benefits of the
educational scene in Kerala in the early century of Christian era.
Universal education was the ideal of the sangam age. All people
irrespective of caste and sex were entitled to get education.
Indigenous education was given to youngster of each village group in a
semi-institutionalized manner by people selected by the ruler or his
representative
Historian argued that education in the time of Buddhist system was also
existed in the northern part of Kerala, which was under Ezhimala ruler.
Art literature, grammar, village craft etc, were thought to all while
medicine and agriculture were taught to the needy.

6. The cheras who ruled the central Kerala introduced trade. , shipping and
sailing as subjects of study during this period .
During this period, many ruler in southern Kerala encouraged learning of
martial arts in addition to other subjects and started special centre for
learning treatment of physical injuries.

7.  After the sangam age, Kerala passed through a dark
period that lasted four centuries. This era is known as
the” kalabhra interregnum “
 The period ranging from the middle of 7th to the early
part of the 9th century is known was the post- sangam
period .
 Buddhism began to decline
 Sankaracharya (788-820 AD) lived and propagated

8. Development of education
 The areas of Kerala, which were part of Tamil country during post-
sangam period, witnessed the glorious growth of education and
literature
 Sanskrit & Prakrit language had been introduced in the Tamil region.
This has resulted in the development of a manuscript called vattezhuthu.
 Learning of the script vattezhuthu was highly encouraged along with
learning Sanskrit and Prakrit in educational institution.
 The Buddhist educational institutional called ghatikas, propagated
Buddhist ideal and teachings during the period through Sanskrit & Tamil
 The Buddhist scholar like Buddhaghosha & Bodhidharma lived
during this period & they influenced the Buddhist education in Kerala.

9.  Learning of Tamil literature & the Tamil grammar found an
important place in schools.
 The Jain educational institution called pallis had remained
important educational centers during the kalabhra rules.
 The Jain palli (school) at thirupathippuliyar remained an
important educational centre during this period. Sarvanandi &
vajranandi were two jain scholars, who lived in period of contributed
to the educational enlightenment of the people.
 The teaching of Sankaracharya &the spread of advaita philosophy
also had into educational influence during this period.

10. Education during Kulashekara
period
 Kulashekara lasted for about 3 countries beginning from 800 AD
 This period is also known as the period of second chera empire
 Malayalam calendar system, kolla varsha was introduced during
this period .
 In the age of kulashekaras of mohodayapuram (800-1102 AD)
education efforts received a great impacts

11.  All the major temples had residential educational institutions
called salais attached to them
The salais were vedic institutions were admissions was restricted
to Brahmins
Subjects like logic, grammar, vedic, rituals, philosophy, theology,
law etc. were taught in these institution
Kanthallur, parthivasekharapuram, thiruvalla and muzhikkulam
are the most important salais
The chola- chera was of the 11th century led the decline of the
salais
After the decline of the salai another chain of educational
institutions called
Then sabha matte sprang up & flourished in central and northern

12. o Education in Kerala under princely rulers attained an un
pre contented progress both in quality and quantity
o various factor that influenced the rapid development of
education, the most important were the liberal and
progressive policy of the enlightened ruler
o Travancore and Cochin and the educational activities of
the European missionaries.

13. Educational development in Travancore
 The beginning of modern education in Travancore began in 1817 when Rani
Gouri Parvathi Bai introduced free education open to all categories of people in
Travancore.
 Between 1817 and 1819 several schools, each with two teachers, were
stated in manage areas of Travancore.
 The gout look steps to promote English education in 1830, by establishing
Raja’s free school at Travancore in 1834, followed by several English medium
district school
 The educational plan of 1865 envisaged to open government school in each
of the 30 talus , and to encouraged privates to start school through liberal grant
- in- aid.

14.  In 1894 the gout decided to bring all indigenous schools under its
educational system by giving them grant –in-aid and by subjecting them to
departmental inspection
 During 1894-1900 female education received special impetus by the
abolition of fees for girls in all grades, and raring girls high school at
Trivandrum to a second grade college
 An epoch – making reform was introduced in the primary education sector
in 1902 by making Malayalam was the medium of instruction at primary land
and abolishing all English medium school at the lower primary stage
 In 1904 gout resolve to make primary education free all students and this
goal was achieved by 1908.
 The functioning of unrecognized schools was criminated in the state by the
education code of 1910.
 In view of the increasing demand for collegiate level institution in state,
the university was established on 1 November 1937

15. Educational development in
Cochin
 The educational history of cochin begins when col. Munroe become the dew
an in 1812. In 1818, he started 33 vernacular school at different party of the
state.
 By 1832, all the vernacular school were closed due to poor response and low
performance.
 In 1818, J Dawron , a CMS missionary from Europe opened an English school at
mattendresi with the assistance from the gout
 In 1826, Samuel Ridsdle, another CMS missionary came to cochin and
established to schools , six for boys and four for girls

16.  The British resident, care major, started a school in Mattanchery in 1835
where the children of Jews were taught English, Hebrew and Malayalam.
 In 1837 two English schools where started ome in riches and another in
Tripunithara for the education of princes and other these schools were raised
as high schools in 1889.
 In elementary English school was establish ohed in Ernakulum in 1845
which gradually upgraded to second grade college (Maha Rajas college)
affiliated to the Madras university.
 Many more English schools opened at indignant part of the cochin state in
1880 and some of the exerting schools were upgraded 15 colleges
 In 1889, the first set of ruler for grant-in-aid to private schools was framed
which resulted in the origin of as large member of private aided schools

17.  For the education of the common man, the gout opened vernacular.
School in the aided category.
 In 1911 as educational code was framed by the govt. as a result of
the grant-in-aid given, a large number of school sprang up under
private management
 By 1947 Cochin had there govt colleges & two private college. The
educational history of the state of Cochin finished in 1949 when it was
integrated with the state of Travancore and the new state, Travancore
re-cochin, was formed.

18. Educational development in
Malabar
 Prior to British administration, at , the end of 18th century, indigenes system
of education such as kalari, ezhuthupallis namboothiri Madhoms , madras etc
existed in Malabar
The British education started in Malabar after Macaulay’s minimales of 1835,
and it was strictly based on the infiltrating theory which gave more emphasis to
higher level of school and collegiate education the primary education.
The basal grammar evangelical mission founded by Dr Herman Gundert,
become in Malabar by the middle of the 19th century

19.  The basal mission opened it first primary school at kallayi in 1848. Later it
was shifted to Calicut & raised to a high school and later to the Malabar
Christian college in 1907.
 In 1862, the mission founded the Brennam school at tricherry (present govt
Brennam college) & it was taken over by the madras govt in 1872.
 Between 1860 & 1890 the basal mission opened several primary school and
high schools in Malabar.
 In 1866, the madras govt started a school palghat which was made a first
grade college in 1925, the Victoria college, learning primary and middle
schools to the municipality. Vocational subjects like carpentry , ------- &
commercial subjects were tought in the high school section attached to the
college. In 1926, they started night school for students from backward
communities.

20.  The Zamorin family of Calicut started a school at a second grade college, the
Zamorin’s college affiliated to the university of madras
 The attention of the govt to the proms ion of Malayalam education in Malabar
was began with the govt & India act of 1919, which gave partial control of the
central education department to Indian
 In 1921 the govt formed district boards, take boars etc and primary school
were started in almost all the village and tower of the Malabar district.
 In Malabar region ‘ the local board act 1834 helped in establishing many
elementary schools and grant-in-aid was paid to private school by the district
educational council from 1939 on words the disbarment of grant in-aid to private
school was done by the district education officer.
 Protestant missionaries from Europe who settled in various part of Travancore
& cochin in the early 19th century laid the foundation for modern higher education
in kerala

21. The missionaries opened English medium school in Nagarcoil (now in
Tamilnadu) quilor, Alleppy , & Kottayam in the state of Travancore and in
Ernakulum &trichure in the state of cochin. These English schools were
approached by the university of madras
 Later, the institution were developed in to college affiliated to the primarly
university of madras.
 In 1818, Rev mead founded the Nagarcoil seminary , the 1st institution in
Travancore to start regular English education. Later this institution grew into a
first grade college.
 In 1816, the Syrian cathelies establish a college at Travancore took the
initiative to start an English school at Trivandrum which, was later raised to a
college, the maharajas college, affiliated to the university of madras
 The English school started in Malabar also were growing to college, the
govt started a high school- Bremmenen high school at tellancery in 1862, and
the school was graduated to the famous brennam college by 1890

22.  In 1816, the govt Victoria school was started in Palakad , and the school
developed into the govt Victoria college by 1838.
 In 1817, Manavikrama maharaja Bahadur Zamorin of Calicut also started a
school and it was connected into the Zamorin’s college by 1888
 The 1st university in princely state of Travancore was the university of
Travancore which was establish under an act promulgated by H.H the maharaja
of Travancore, sri Bala Rama Varma, in 1937(16th university in india)
 In 1866, his highness the maharaja free school was raised to the status of a
college affiliated to the madras university. It was the nuclear of the present
university college Trivandrum.
 The first normal school was founded in 1805 and it was connected into a
training college in 1911.
 The missionary women took the lead in female education established school
from Kodumkulam to Thengapattanam.

23.  In 1819, Mrs Mead, the wife of lev. Mead, a missionary of the LMS, started a
boarding school for girls at Nagarcoil and that was the 1st female school in the
southern part of Kerala
 In 1888, separate vernacular school for girl were started
 The girls high school at Trivandrum was transformed into a second grade college
in the year 1897(44th maharaja’s college for women Trivandrum)
 A Sanskrit school was started in Trivandrum in 1889 and was upgraded into the
introduction of a course of study in the Vedas in the mahopadhyaya Dept. of the
Sanskrit college, Trivandrum, during 1922-1923.
 The development of judiciary made the gout to establish a law college at
Trivandrum in 1864
 Technical school were also opened

24.  A Sanskrit college, an ayurveda college and a second grade college for women
and a law college were opened at Trivandrum
As archeological department was also formed
 Libraries & reformatories were established for the education of juvenile
delinquent
 The institution of the school learning certificate scheme in 1909 was a
significant step in the development of secondary education

25. Kerala stands foremost among Indian states in literacy and
educational achievement. Kerala emerged as the first
state in India with a claim to and percent literacy
standing on the foundation laid by the ruler of
Travancore. The contribution of Ruler of Travancore are
great importance in the re organization of our present
system of education.