Asia, Colonialism and Education in

This entry focuses on the impact of colonialism on education in Asia and its implications for contemporary diversity. It concentrates on Western colonialism, although the authors recognize that some non-Western colonial powers were also of considerable importance. For example, the Mughal Empire dominated large parts of South Asia from the early 16th to the mid-19th centuries, and Japan was a significant colonial power during the first half of the 20th century. The term colony in this entry is defined as a political dependency that is to some degree settled and governed by citizens of its dominant state.

The Western imperial experience in Asia started in the 15th century with the search for a spice route from Europe to India. Gradually, with the encroachment and growth of Western-steered East India companies, the need for a local administration was felt and colonial education systems were established. The colonial powers together with Christian missionaries from the West were the most persuasive agents of what is called the modern school in Asia, characterized by children sitting in rows in classrooms, holding books, and facing their teacher. These schools were often very different from those of non-Western religious education systems such as Buddhist monastery schools, Hindu temple schools, and Islamic madrassas. The Western systems also differed from preexisting secular systems, though some—such as the Confucian-inspired Vietnamese school system—also had structured classes and examinations like the Western systems.

Instead of supporting preexisting school systems, most colonial authorities attempted to replace them with Western-style instruction. Yet despite the relative homogeneity of modern schooling, the nature of colonial education systems in Asia differed according to the objectives of the individual colonizing powers and according to [Page 135]local conditions. For example, the French colonial education system was different from the British or the Portuguese education systems, and colonies under the same colonizing power also displayed variations.