<div dir="ltr"><div style id="stcpDiv"><div class=""><div class=""><h1>Language barrier</h1>
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<div class=""><a href="http://indianexpress.com/agency/express-news-service/">Express News Service</a> | <span>Posted: November 18, 2014 12:11 am</span></div>
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<p> The ministry of human resource development is fast becoming
everyone’s favourite punching bag again — and as it would appear, not
without reason. It’s squishy, it’s squashy, it has no credible defence,
for instance, against the charge that it is playing with the lives of
large numbers of students in Kendriya Vidyalayas by removing German from
the course in the middle of the academic year. That was its first
blunder, but another followed: Sanskrit, imposed top-down, was widely
perceived to replace German, till the ministry clarified that it could
be replaced by any Indian language, in line with national policy.</p>
<p>Language policy in schools dates back to 1949, when state education
ministers discussed a flexible scheme delivering education in both
official languages and mother tongues. A Central resolution followed in
1968, which was reaffirmed in the National Policy on Education in 1986.
Today, schools offer a minimum of three languages — English, Hindi and a
regional language, or Sanskrit. The removal of German may arguably be
in line with the policy that prescribes only Indian languages. But is
the move appropriate, especially from a ministry that has been going on
about the need for educational reform? This government also stresses
skilling, and the export of skills is a natural objective. In a world
with permeable borders, India’s human capital is already deployed across
global language domains. The process contributes significantly to the
national interest and should be accelerated by government intervention.
Not by forcing Indian languages upon those who look forward to careers
overseas, but by offering access to a wider bouquet of languages, both
Indian and foreign. While Indian languages affirm rootedness, foreign
tongues spell mobility.</p>
<p>The purpose of reform is to enlarge opportunity, not restrict it. A
child who learns German in school today may get a nine to five job in
Munich years later. A child who has Sanskrit too may become a researcher
in Heidelberg, an opportunity that the first child may not enjoy.
Today, young people invest privately in learning the world’s languages
in order to become world citizens. The HRD ministry should help them by
offering wider language options in school — by distance education, if
necessary — instead of reducing the spectrum of opportunity, as it
appears to be doing.</p></div></div></div></div> - See more at: <a href="http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/language-barrier-8/#sthash.41S7H0Xg.dpuf">http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/language-barrier-8/#sthash.41S7H0Xg.dpuf</a></div><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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