Minister for Secondary Education Kolusu Parthasarathi said that steps will be taken to ensure that Telugu is taught in all schools (including Urdu) from classes one to 10 in both Government and private.
Addressing a meeting held by the Krishna District Writers Association to felicitate computational linguists who participated in the First International Telugu Internet Conference held in Silicon Valley recently the Minister said that according to G.O.Ms. No.86 Education (SE-C&TBP) Department, dated July 2, 2003 Telugu should be taught as a subject in every school in the State, but this was not being followed.
But, now instructions would be given to all schools to implement the Government Order. Leading computational linguist in the world Peri Bhaskara Rao, G. Uma Maheswar Rao, A.P. Hindi Academy Chairman Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, former Minister Mandali Buddha Prasad, MLC Ilapuram Venkaiah, Silicon Andhra founder president Kuchibotla Anand, current president Kondubotla Deenababu and general secretary J. Chennaiah were felicitated by the writers' association president Guttikonda Subba Rao and general secretary G.V. Purnachand.
The speakers said that it was very unfortunate that Telugu was not being taught in all schools in the State. Mr Lakshmi Prasad said the situation was so bad that the Government had to change the medium of instruction from Telugu to English in 6,400 Government Schools at one shot. Mr Buddha Prasad said due weightage should be given to marks in the Intermediate (junior College) course. Minister for Information Technology and Communications Ponnala Lakshmaiah said that all out efforts were being made to make Telugu language computer and internet friendly. He said that a number of jobs had to be created for computerising the language. Information Technology would continue to be the sector to generate the highest number of jobs and Telugu would not be a barrier for them, he said.
