India: Campaign to encourage studies in local language

[Harold F. Schiffman]

VYAKARAN: South Asian Languages and Linguistics Net
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>From 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.