The plan to introduce English as the medium of instruction in Classes I to VI in all the government schools from the next academic year poses a multidimensional challenge to the government. The move is likely to have large-scale ramifications for different sections.
Scores of DSC aspirants are unsettled and fear a bleak future.
A worrying factor
“I have studied in Telugu medium all my life. The talk of ‘only English medium’ schools worries me. The fact that the State has no English medium B.Ed college or a DIET (District Institute of Education and Training) should be taken into consideration while recruiting teachers,” says Aripaka Varalakshmi, a DSC aspirant from Devarapalli mandal in Visakhapatnam district.
There are around seven lakh DSC aspirants in the State who studied in the Telugu medium in school and college, and are now waiting for appointment as teachers in the government schools.
“We should be given equal chance in recruitment. If trained adequately, we will be able to deliver,” says Gadutala Ganesh, another DSC aspirant from Munchingput mandal in Paderu Agency area. Varalakshmi begs to differ. “It takes years to learn a new language for our own use.
If English is imposed on Telugu medium teachers, students are bound to suffer. The government should adopt a pragmatic stand since the issue has several important aspects to be addressed.”
S. Hemanth Kumar, State president of the Unemployed Teachers’ Joint Action Committee (JAC), suggests that at least two Telugu medium schools should be allowed to function for every 10 English medium schools.
“Telugu pandits should be appointed in every primary school to ensure strong fundamentals in the language,” he said, demanding equal preference to both Telugu and English medium DSC aspirants in the government notification.
In the backward tribal areas, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan wing of the School Education Department succeeded in attracting tribal children to schools by introducing tribal languages such as Savara, Konda, Koya and Sugali as the medium of instruction.
