Between 1901 to 1910 Aurel Stein served as the Inspector General of Schools in the Deparment of Education, Government of India. During this tenure he instinctively favoured discipline and stability and disapproved of an educational system that westernized Indian students but left them discontented with their lot. He championed that higher standard of education in native languages of India was necessary to bring positive results in the country. Such opinion impressed the then first Education Member of the Viceroy’s Council, Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler to the extent that he often consulted Aurel Stein while formulating his own policy on education in India. The Butler Model of Education that still survives today in India owes much of its basic content to Aurel Stein’s views which he submitted to Sir Spencer under the title of Educational Revolution.

Some extracts from Educational Revolution by Sir Aurel Stein submitted to Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler. (Stein Mss 426, Bodleian Library, Oxford.)

On ethics and value education:

“It is an easier task to devise an effective system of western education for a country like Soudan where one finds a tabularasa than for India. It is like preparing an engraving on a copper plate from which an earlier design has not yet been effaced, and those who are to put on the fresh engraving do not always know how first to handle their acids or even the need of using them.”

“Would it not be desirable to touch here upon the fundamental difficulty of transplanting a system of education which under the necessities created by historical development must be mainly a Western one, among communities which are the inheritors of Eastern civilization of great antiquity and retain in their social organization and mentality their indelible impress of these independent cultures.”

“Would it not be possible to throw out a hint here as to the excellent materials for ethical teaching contained in the Indian epics such as Mahabharata and Ramayana which are in reality sacred texts or in portion of Persian classics like Hafazi. They could be given in practice a far greater place in school courses whether in original or in quasi comical versions than they hold at present. Indian sentiment would appreciate the respect shown for the ethic value of these texts and as they are as little sectarian as the Bible, no trouble is likely to arise in practice.”

On the need of clean, well arranged school buildings accustomed to order and cleanliness:

“India will never receive the benefits of universal military training, but I believe, given the Indian readiness to fall in will drill of all kind and stick to its steady insistence on clean well ordered school house the same applying with full force to hostels, would have a far going effect. I wonder whether this aspect of training receives adequate attention in girls schools where its value be, if possible, still greater.”

On the need to study Geography:

“All Indians love travel and this factor is scarcely yet taken advantage of educationally. May I plead for a word to recommend practical teaching of geography. In view of the great emigration movements in many parts of India, this branch of instruction has a direct economical advantage. School excursions and practical geography training will also lead to the understanding of the importance of local surroundings resulting in the satisfaction felt at widened horizon proportionally greater.”

On research and science:

“Research is not luxury but a necessity. Seminar work and creation of institutes of technical sciences has been avoided. There is an urgent need to learn foreign languages like French and German for research work.”