From this academic year, pre-university students will have to choose either English or Kannada as their medium of instruction and ensure that they write their examination only in that language.
The Department of Pre-University Education on Friday issued a circular stating that all students should appear for the examination in the medium they have registered for, thus ruling out the bilingual option.
The department said that question papers would be in either English or Kannada, based on the medium opted by the candidate. Hitherto question papers were bilingual.
For the first time, candidates who wrote the exam in 2017 had the medium of instruction specified on their marks cards.
In the past few years, many students, irrespective of them having registered for either English or Kannada medium, would write answers in English as well as Kannada. This would sometimes make it difficult for evaluators, as they would have to be proficient in both the languages.
To put an end to this, the DPUE said that from this academic year all candidates would have to pick one of the two languages by September 30 and submit details to the department. From next year, students will have choose the medium of instruction during admission. If they wish to change the medium, they can do so in the first three months during the first year pre-university course and by the first week in the second year.
Department sources said this would help students develop competency in one medium and also put an end to arbitrary evaluation practices. However, the department has said that they would make an exception with use of technical words.
The move has elicited mixed reactions from students as well as teachers. President of the Karnataka State Pre-University College Lecturers’ Association Thimmaiah Purle said, “Why can’t the child write the answers in both languages? And why should there be a question paper in a single language?”
Principals of some colleges felt that this is a move in the right direction.
Pooja S., a first PU science student, said, “I studied in Kannada medium till class 10, but opted for English medium in first PU this year as I want to pick up English. But if I have to write the exam only in English, I would be at a disadvantage.”
