Education Minister defends English medium

Amaravati: Obviously in an exercise to limit the damage, Minister for Education Audimulapu Suresh said that the government was committed to provide quality education to the students to ensure that they shine in the present competitive world.

Addressing the media at the Secretariat here on Friday, the Minister said that English would be introduced in all government schools from Class-1 to 8 from the academic year 2020-21.

"The syllabus would be revised from Class 1 to 5 as per the present needs and the students would be taught for their overall development," he added. The Minister said that it has been identified that 98,000 teachers are necessary to teach English and the English teachers would be given orientation in English from January to May in various phases.

The Minister asserted that introduction of English medium in schools is historical necessity to prepare the students to fare well at national and international levels.

However, Telugu would be given proper place along with English and mother tongue would receive priority, the Minister said. "Telugu would be taught as a subject," he asserted.

Referring to the statistics, Suresh said that 70,90,217 students got admitted in the present academic year till October out of which 44,21, 529 are studying in English medium.

Among the scheduled castes students, 49.61 per cent are studying in English medium. Likewise, 33.23 per cent of scheduled tribe students, 62.5 per cent of backward class students and 82.6 per cent of open category students are in English medium.

"It is clear that the English medium is available for only upper class sections and it is high time it should be made available for all sections," he said. The Minister said that Nadu-Nedu programme would be launched by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on November 14 in Prakasam district and the programme would be implemented in 45,000 schools throughout the State.

Under the programme, nine types of works would be undertaken including construction of toilets, compound walls, ensuring drinking water, proper drainage facility, furniture, fans, blackboards, lighting, and painting.