BENGALURU: The budget presented by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy made a path-breaking announcement for many parents as it offered to provide English as a medium of instruction along with Kannada, at state government schools.
Though primary education in mother tongue is a state policy, the CM has decided to offer English medium at higher primary level — from Class 6. This was one of the long pending demands by parents who cannot afford to send their kids to private schools which offer English medium. At the same time, there are parents who were sending their wards to private schools only because they were English medium.
Mullahalli Suri, president of the Parents’ Association said, “After so many years and several requests, the government has finally implemented this. The move will help thousands of parents who are struggling to send their kids to private schools due to financial issues or end up taking loans.”
“I hope this will not just remain as an announcement and at least from the next academic year, the government will implement this. It is not that parents are fascinated towards English but every parent wishes that their children learn English as it is a global language. To compete with the world, they need to learn the language as we feel that otherwise they would end up like us in petty jobs,” said a parent who works at a garment industry.
Again, this move may have implementation issues as there is already a shortage of teachers. “They should not make such announcements just for the sake of it. The department is already struggling to find teachers to teach English as a subject at government schools, from where they will get teachers to teach all subjects in English medium?,” questioned Dr V P Niranjanaradhya, an expert in school education.
Move to help boost enrolment
This step to teach in open English medium at government schools will help increase enrolment at government schools. According to teachers working at government schools and also parents, the attraction towards private schools is only because of English medium and this is one of the important reasons which reduces enrolment at government schools.