Primari Education in Nineteenth Century Bengali Society : A Comparative Discussion of Vidyasagar’s Barnaparichay and Madanmohan’s Sishusiksha (উনিশ শতকের বঙ্গসমাজে প্রাথমিক শিক্ষা : বিদ্যাসাগরের বর্ণপরিচয় ও মদনমোহনের শিশুশিক্ষার তুলনামূলক আলোচনা)

Abstract

In the 19th century, the modern European education system began in Bengal.  After the British took control of Bangadesh after the Battle of Palashi, some missionaries started spreading Western religious education on their own initiative in some places.  After that, Fort William College was established and the institutionalization of Western education system began.  Later establishment of Hindu College, establishment of School Book Society etc. played an active role in expanding western education system in this country.

Since the establishment of School Book Society, Western style of primary education started in this country. The Calcutta Book Society was established in 1817 AD, many Bengali books were printed from here.  History says that on the one hand, with the rise of the capitalist system, the feudal system fell and the hereditary occupations were replaced by middle-class communities.  In such a situation, childhood was prolonged and due to the spread of western education, many people got the opportunity to receive education. With that, the attempt to write textbooks suitable for primary education began.  In the early stages, several books were published on the introduction of alphabets and letters, but they all did not properly or scientifically organize Bengali letters or alphabets.  So later, the famous Pandit Madanmohan Tarkalankar and Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar joined hands in writing elementary textbooks.  In this research paper we will try to present a comparative studyof ‘Barnaparichay’ written by Iswarchandra Vidyasagar and ‘Sishusiksha’ written by Madanamohan Tarkalankar and also try to realize that the situation of early primary education system of modern Bengal.