VIJAYAWADA: The State government’s decision to opt for English as the medium of instruction in government schools instead of Telugu has evoked a mixed response from the public, with vernacular language lovers vehemently opposing the move. As part of his election manifesto, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy assured the voters that if he came to power, English would be used to teach students in government schools and they would be offered better education as compared to their private counterparts.
In fulfilment of his promise, the State government released orders to use English as a medium of instruction in government schools from the the upcoming academic year for classes one to eight, while classes nine and 10 will implement the proposal from 2021.Education and Telugu experts have opposed the government’s move and are demanding that the order be revoked at the earliest.However, the State government has lent a deaf ear to their pleas and is currently formulating proposals to assess whether school teachers are comfortable teaching in English as opposed to Telugu. The training is likely to start from January in a phased manner and continue even during the summer vacation.
Former deputy speaker and Telugu expert Mandali Budda Prasad said, “Time and again studies have proven that students develop better personalities if education is imparted to them in their mother tongue. But here in our State, the government is acting foolishly and replacing the vernacular medium with English as the medium of instruction in schools. It is sad that students are left without any option if they want to pursue higher education in their native tongue.”
He further said that switching to English medium won’t solve burning issues like lack of communication skills and unemployment. “The government should have sticked to Telugu medium and make English a mandatory language. It is quite obvious that the government’s decisions are only favouring the corporate sector.”
The teachers’ unions are also in a quagmire over the sudden switch in teaching methodology. They believe that assessment of their English language skills and the subsequent training for those found lacking, would ultimately prove to be detrimental to the entire teaching community as the government’s objectives cannot be achieved in a few months.
P Babu Reddy, state general secretary of United Teachers Federation (UTF) said, “Introducing English as an additional subject is quite different from converting to English medium schools. Most of the teachers have studied in Telugu medium and have an experience of teaching in it for around 20 to 30 years. Sudden conversion to English after being trained for a few weeks will not give the desired results. Students will also have a hard time in understanding and might simply drop out.”
Meanwhile, parents of students enrolled in government schools are elated and are happily welcoming the move. N Sukanya, a vegetable vendor in Vijayawada city said, “I spend almost `20,000 on my son’s education in a private school. Though it is hard to spend such a hefty sum, I do it keeping his future in mind. If the government offers my son access to good facilities and English medium in schools run by it then it would be a boon for poor people like me.”