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Brief History Great Tamil Savant Thiruvalluvar in his incomparable work "Thirukkural" has observed as follows which is as relevant today as it was in the past. "The twain that bore of numbers and of letters give Are eyes, the wise declare, to all on earth that live." Learning is excellence of wealth that none destroy; To man nought else affords reality of joy". --Thirukkural Before the advent of British in India, education was considered as a private affair. Upto 1813, the East India Company did not recognize the promotion of the education among the natives of India. The Governor of Madras Province, Sir Thomas Munro, was responsible to establish the Board of Public Instruction in 1826, which should be considered as the origin of the Education Department. Wood's dispatch on education in 1854 laid the foundation on which the educational system has since developed. In accordance with the recommendations of the dispatch, The Madras provincial government established a Department of Public Instruction in the state. The rules and regulations were designed to assist the indigenous institutions to improve themselves and to give some assistance. The first set of grants for aided schools was issued in 1855. By 1881, a considerable portion of indigenous institutions had become aided schools and thus they moved from the category of private to public schools. Under the Local Boards Act 1871, Local Boards were constituted and empowered to open schools and get subsidy from the government. The Madras Elementary Education Act, 1920 enabled the local bodies to levy an educational cess on land or property tax for advancement of elementary education. In1920 elementary education was taken from District Boards and entrusted to Taluk Boards and Municipalities and the power of according recognition to aided elementary schools was transferred from the Education Department to the District Education Councils. In 1934 the Taluk Boards were abolished and elementary schools administration was entrusted again to the District Boards. In 1939, District Education Councils were also abolished and the power to recognize elementary schools was restored once again to the Education Department.
Click here for to view milestones in the History of the School Education Department
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