India: Campaign to encourage studies in local language

[Francis M. Hult]

The Times of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1495142.cms

Campaign to encourage studies in local language

RAJKOT: "You love your children. But when you put them in English medium 
school, you ruin their life. Matter is serious." This is an SMS doing rounds 
in Saurashtra and several parts of Gujarat. 

This is part of a campaign initiated by a group of people to create awareness 
about imparting primary education in local language rather than in English 
language. 

The campaign that began a year ago, seems to be gaining momentum with people 
from Bardoli and Saurashtra launching a media campaign to warn parents against 
enrolling their children in schools where the medium of teaching is not same 
as their mother tongue. 

Dr Harshad Pandit, who took up the campaign in Saurashtra and Ahmedabad 
says, "Putting a child in a medium other than his mother tongue affects his 
grasping power. 

We are not against English medium or the language, but we firmly believe that, 
at least up to class V or VI, the child should be taught in the language that 
he speaks at home. 

This would increases his grasping power and also improve his learning 
abilities." Pandit, a retired joint director of animal husbandry department 
says, "I have seen children ruining their life by studying in English medium. 

Parents are forced to send them for extra tuition. The child spends his whole 
day shuttling between school and the tuition classes, with very little time 
for play." 

Harshad Shah, who initiated the campaign in Bardoli says, "Research has proved 
that teaching a child in his mother tongue increases the child's ability to 
learn. Hence, we decided to take up this campaign." 

He said that in Gujarat if we compare the number of students appearing for SSC 
and HSC examination, it would be clear that the number of students studying in 
a medium same as their mother tongue is more than those studying in English 
medium. 

Gopal Desai, an industrialist from Saurashtra says, "We have paid for over 
10,000 advertisement and have even got posters and pamphlets made for the 
campaign. 

Gandhiji, in one of his books — Khari Kelavani, has emphasised the need for 
education in one's own mother tongue. Vinobha Bhave, in his book — Sikhsan 
Vichar, has echoed similar feeling as Gandhiji. 

Bhave was one person who knew over 22 languages." Desai has prepared a CD on 
the issue and made 5,000 copies of it for the campaign.