The importance of wood’s Despatch in the Indian education are discussed below:

(1) The aim of education: The Despatch stated that the aim of education should be to impart useful knowledge to the Indian masses for raising their intellectual moral and economic status. It also felt that the company should take over the responsibility of Indian education. 

(2) The Despatch was not against Sanskrit and Arabic education, but felt that western knowledge and science was proper for the Indian people. It therefore recommended that English be the chief medium but the vernacular languages may also be taught together in the schools. 

(3) Department of education: The despatch recommended that a Department of public instruction be set in each province. The highest authority of the department would be the Director of public instruction and other inspector should also be appointed to assist him. 

(4) Setting up of universities: The Despatch also recommend the setting up of universities in the presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. These universities were to be established on the model of the London University. These universities were to have a chancellor, a vice-chancellor and Fellows, thus constituting a senate. The Senate would conduct universities examinations and confer degrees upon the successful candidate for the affiliated colleges. 

(5) Expansion of mass education: Wood’s Despatch recommended that education should be made available to all i. e. the masses. It therefore recommended the establishment of more high schools, middle and primary schools. It also proposed to award scholarships to the bright students. It also discarded the downward filtration theory and recommended the schools to be set up on the lines of the indigenous primary schools. 

(6) Grant in aid: The Despatch proposed the sanction of grant-in-aid to the Indian educational institutions the grant-in-aid was based on the principles of religious neutrality. It. Would be given to all the schools which imparted secular education, possessed good local management and which followed the rules and regulations of the Govt. prescribed for receiving grant-in-aid. These institutions had to charge a minimum fee from the students and could not give free education.