The new education policy introduced by the British, however, had limited success.

In the first place, a handful of persons living in towns could take advantage of the schools which were established in cities or sub-divisional towns.

The bulk of the population that lived in villages had been deprived of the benefit of the English education.

Secondly, the English education was by and large confined to the middle class. The idea prevalent in the official circle that the new education would percolate downwards to the masses through the upper classes was never realized.

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Thirdly, the greatest defect of the new education policy was that it totally neglected the education of the people at the elementary stage.

Fourthly, another important cause of decline of the vernacular education in the elementary level was that the elementary schools spread all over the country suffered ruination due to the lack of financial support from the government.

However, the Company’s government could not neglect the vernacular education for the long.

It was in 1854 that a new education policy recommended by Charles Wood emphasized the need for introducing vernacular education in the elementary level.