School Books in the India Office Library

an evaluative study

Abstract

The study has confined its focus on the evaluation of school textbooks in
colonial Bengal especially deposited in the India Office Library as it found authentic
depository of the period. It has been carried out with the objectives, to acquaint
with knowledge worthy for colonial students, to what extent published textbooks
were consistent to it, to evaluate school textbooks in the India Office Library, to
familiar with the pioneer textbook writers in different subjects. A thorough study of
the catalogue of the Bengali books in the nineteenth century in the India Office
Library has been done to do a comparative study with school books and books on
other subjects. 2400 Bengali books are found collected in the library. 12 % books
found for schools. School books comprised of grammar, mathematics and readers.
A good number of mathematics and zamindari account are found collected in
the library. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Akshay Kumar Dutta, SatkariDutta,
JadugopalChattapadhyay, RamgatiNayaratna Bhattacharya, Madan Mahan
Tarkalankar, Gopal Chandra Bandopadhyay were pioneer child book reading writers.
The India Office Library collection appeared as an authentic source of school
books and its contributors which is helpful in present-day syllabus and textbook
designing in elementary education.