Karnataka: Language: the challenge is in ensuring quality delivery; The decision on English in schools saw much debate

[Harold Schiffman]

Date:28/12/2007 URL:
http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/28/stories/2007122853500600.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Language: the challenge is in ensuring quality delivery

Bageshree S.

The decision on English in schools saw much debate
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A long-standing demand of Dalits has been fulfilled

The way in which it was rushed through has drawn flak


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Bangalore: The year 2007 marked the introduction of English as a
subject in all Government and aided Kannada-medium schools from
standard 1, a landmark decision that saw much debate both on its
efficacy and the methodology to be adopted. It was a bold move indeed,
considering that language remains a sensitive issue.  Seven months
into the implementation of the decision, the opposition, primarily
from the Kannada Sahitya Parishat, has virtually disappeared. The move
has been largely welcomed as an effort at empowering the deprived
sections who cannot afford to go to English-medium schools — a
long-standing demand of many Dalit organisations.

However, the way the implementation was rushed through has seen much
criticism.  The then Government had received flak for derecognising
over 2,000 schools for flouting the language policy and teaching in
English medium earlier in the year.  Though the Government was on a
firm legal ground as the erring schools had gone against a written
undertaking, it was seen largely as an anti-English stance and also
against the interests of lower middle-class children whose only access
to English education is through these schools.  CBSE and ICSE schools
are, by and large, beyond the reach of those who fall below the upper
middle-class bracket. The recognition row is, in fact, still to be
completely resolved, with a crucial case on the language policy of the
State pending before the High Court of Karnataka.

A.R. Vasavi, professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, says
that an ambitious initiative such as introduction of English should
have been done over a period of at least two years with extensive
training for teachers. Prof. Vasavi, who coordinated a project on
elementary education in Chamarajnagar district, observes: "Most
teachers face difficulties in contextualising the language and
introducing it in conversations." As the year draws to a close, the
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan's deadline of ensuring that "all six to
14-year-olds are in classes 1 to 8 by 2007" and "all required
infrastructure and human resources for providing eight years of free,
compulsory, relevant and quality education are in place by 2007" are
yet to be fulfilled in totality, as a sizable section of children
continue to stay out of school, especially in the backward
Hyderabad-Karnataka region.

As Commissioner of Public Instruction Kumar Naik puts it, the
challenge is not really in introducing grand schemes and projects, but
ensuring quality delivery.  Whether introduction of English language
proves empowering for lakhs of poor children across the State hinges
on this.

(c) Copyright 2000 - 2007 The Hindu

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