Child Health and Educational Policy in Colonial Bengal (1910-1947)

Abstract

In the early decades of the 20th century the colonial government was concerned with the problem of infant mortality and child health particularly in Bengal. They began to reformulate educational policies keeping in mind the issues related to health and hygiene. Since 1910, initiatives were undertaken for medical inspection of school children in Bengal. This article attempts to focus mainly on two issues i.e. Why the question of child health became vital for the colonizers and how it chalked out the pattern of educational policy in Bengal since 1910?