BENGALURU: Compulsory Kannada for four semesters for undergraduate courses under the National Education Policy (NEP) from the current academic year, has made English an optional language. But lecturers worry about its effect on other languages, such as Hindi and Sanskrit, among urban students, once English becomes optional.
There is also concern that Kannada being compulsory would deepen the urban-rural divide. “English and Math are traditionally low-scoring subjects in PU and SSLC for a majority of students, and if made optional, students who find English daunting will give it up. However, they will face a drawback when English is needed for job prospects,” said an English lecturer from a private college in the city, affiliated to Bengaluru City University.
Another concern is that there are various papers for English, for instance Ability Enhancement Compulsory Course (AECC), which is compulsory but average, Additional English or Functional English, which is yet to be decided upon, Skill Enhancement course or spoken English, and Open Elective English which has four types of courses, said another lecturer affiliated to BCU, adding that one does not know how many English papers a student will be allowed to choose.
English lecturers rued that the language, once considered elitist, was brought to the doorstep of commoners, but now it could again become the prerogative of a few. Even as an optional, students would choose a skill-based course over language, as it would not be seen as value addition in terms of employment, said a lecturer from an autonomous college.
However, the fact that Kannada is extended to four semesters comes as a matter of joy to Kannada lecturers. At a recent conference, one lecturer expressed delight that “60 per cent of us (lecturers) are prepared for implementation of the National Education Policy, however, we are seeking training on how to bring in open electives to colleges”.
A lecturer from an evening college wondered how welcoming Bengaluru would remain to students from other states, after this hub of education makes Kannada compulsory. There are said to be atleast 2000 students from the North Eastern states studying in various colleges in Ramamurthynagar alone, said another lecturer.
Compulsory Kannada would impact the workload of other subjects -- for instance Hindi and Sanskrit. Sudha, principal of Vijaya College Jayanagar, suggested that a model where colleges could implement
functional Kannada for non-Kannada speakers perhaps in alternate semesters. This would balance out the skewed workload on Kannada teachers.