प्राचीन भारत में शिक्षा (डॉ. ए.एस. अल्तेकर - गुरुकुल एवं बौद्ध विहार शिक्षण इतिहास)

IV] EDUCATIONAL ORGANISATION AND FINANCE 101
Indian state organisation. A glance at the contempo-
rary history shows, however, that the states in the
West also had not only no State Education Depart-
ments, but were not accustomed to give any substantial
grants to educational institutions started by private
individuals. Schools in the Middle Ages in Europe
were dependent not on the State but on the Church;
it was the latter which provided for the expenses, sup-
plied teachers and moulded aims and ideals.¹ Famous
English Universities like Oxford and Cambridge grew
out of no Order of Government or Resolution of
Parliament: they were originally centres of scholars
united by their zeal and aptitude for learning,
and anxious to hand down the torch of learning
to the next generation. Their sincerity and scho-
larship attracted donors like Walter de Merton
and Wykenham, who came forward to provide
hostels and colleges for residence and study.²
Down to the 19th century, education was financially
dependent on the Church, private benefactors and
corporations. In England, the state gave its first
grant for primary education as late as 1832, and that
was of £2000 only. In France the state took up
the cause of education only after the great Revolution
of 1788. It was in Germany that the state first
began to zealously champion the cause of education;
Martin Luther maintained that education ought to
be supported by state and his advocacy proved
effective. In India, however, the state recognised its
responsibility to the cause of education since earliest
times, as we have shown already. It believed in
the spontaneous growth of education and so did not
organise its own educational department.

1. Raymont, Principles o Education, p. 18.
2. Mayhew, p. 77.