Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday said the budget announcement on introducing English as a medium of instruction in government primary schools would be “corrected” and it would only be taught as a language.
“The move will not harm Kannada in any way,” he told a delegation headed by S.G. Siddaramaiah, chairman of the Kannada Development Authority (KDA), who met him on Saturday.
He promised to table the proposal afresh in the legislature session, replacing “English-medium classes” with “teaching of English as a language” in government Kannada primary schools.
A delegation of writers, scholars, academicians, and Vice-Chancellors met Mr. Kumaraswamy and appealed to him to stall the move to offer English-medium classes along with Kannada-medium ones in over 1,000 public schools. Centenarian freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy, Kendra Sahitya Academy president Chandrashekar Kambar, Kannada Sahitya Parishath president Manu Baligar, Kannada Sahitya Sammelana presidents Ko. Channabasappa, Chandrashekhar Patil, and Siddalingaiah, and former chairperson of KDA Mukhyamantri Chandru were part of the delegation.
“The coalition government is committed to protecting the interests of the land, language and culture, and under no circumstances will it sacrifice them,” the CM said.
He said the decision to teach English as a language in public schools was in the interest of children in rural areas. “Government schools will be extended the best of facilities on a par with those available in private educational institutions,” he said. “I will seek a report on the state of government schools across the State and [will] hold a meeting with the members of the delegation after the end of the ongoing budget session.”
Meeting by KDA
Ahead of their meeting with Mr. Kumaraswamy, the writers and academicians, who attended a meeting convened by Mr. Siddaramaiah, strongly condemned the announcement on English-medium classes.
Mr. Doreswamy asked former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KSP chief Manu Baligar to quit their posts in protest of the decision, which is contrary to the stand taken by the previous government. He demanded the implementation of the 21 recommendations of a seven-member committee on strengthening government schools.
Prof. Chandrashekhar Patil cautioned of an agitation on the lines of the Gokak Chaluvali of the 1980s. He said it was against “coalition dharma” to take such a decision because the previous government headed by the Congress had promised not to introduce English-medium classes for primary school students.
Meanwhile, Prof. Niranjana Aradhya of the National Law School batted for the formulation of a national language and education policy.
