THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Around 25 children and adults, who underwent an innovative course in functional English grammar designed by independent educator M S Renjith, will demonstrate their language skills before the academic community at Azhikode village near here on Wednesday.
Noted academician R V G Menon, Director of Centre for Adult Continuing Education and Extension (CACEE) of Kerala University K R Supriya, N C Haridas of Malayalam Aikya Vedi and M Shajarkhan of the All-India Save Education Committee would be among the panel which would assess the students.
This is the second phase of Renjith’s educational experiment on functional grammar.
This time, adults have also been included along with school-going children. The functional grammar teaching course and its success was first reported by Express in 2013.
The students of government schools in Vilappil grama panchayat were imparted around 42 hours of grammar lessons in the first phase. At an open forum, these students put Plus-II students and even undergraduate students in English literature far behind in terms of English grammar proficiency.
After repeated requests, Education Minister P K Abdu Rabb had directed the then Director of Public Instruction (DPI) to look into Renjith’s teaching methodology.
The Director of Public Instruction asked District Centre For English (DCE) to oversee imparting of the course in government schools in Manacaud and Peroorkada.
“DCE officials conducted tests both before the course and after. While one report recommended that the methodology could be introduced in schools, another report said it was not effective. The government has not given a final answer on the matter despite many queries,” Renjith said.
Renjith has now appealed to educationists and the civil society to exert pressure on authorities so that teaching of functional grammar is introduced on a formal basis in all schools.