Don't enforce English medium: Improve facilities, recruit English teachers first says experts

Hyderabad: One need not find fault with the Government's decision to introduce English as medium of instruction in schools but it should not rush through the process of implementation. As of now, the Government seems to be in a hurry to do so. It should first improve the infrastructure facilities and can plan to switch over to English medium from 2023 academic year, language experts and teachers' unions feel.

Talking to The Hans India, the Telugu language experts said introduction of English medium from the next academic year is a hasty decision. There are two aspects that first need to be clarified. The cabinet has been silent on this and officials also do not have any clarity on whether the students will have an option in choosing English medium or Telugu medium. If the option is there, then it is a good decision. But again, the issue here is the non-availability of faculty to teach in English.

Telugu Pandit Ch Rajashekar from Vikarabad district said he does not find mistakes in the decision, but if the infrastructure is not in place there is no point in launching the scheme as students will be at loss. It is not so easy to train the teachers in such a short time. It should go in for recruitment of new teachers. Telugu medium in the initial stages of students would help them to grasp the subject better. Schools have been non-functional for the last two years due to the pandemic and they have forgotten even basic concepts. If English medium is forced on them at this point, it will be of no help to them, he said.

M Prabhakara Chary from Vidya Vyapati Udyoga Prapati, an education guidance cell, said that he was against the decision. He said that the decision was against the New Education Policy of the Centre. As per the new policy, children should be taught in regional language from 1st to 5th class and only then the children can learn easily.

English medium can be taught from class sixth and above, which will benefit the students, he added.

Telugu Bhasha Chaitanya Samithi founder Bade Saheb said that there would have been a meaning if the English medium would have been implemented in the 2023 academic year but introduction from the next academic year was nothing but a tactic to confuse people and divert the attention of the people.

Expecting the teachers, who are about to retire, to get trained in English and teach children would be a big task. "We will welcome English medium but without taking up recruitment of English teachers and implementing the English medium will result in complete failure. It is totally a wrong decision to go in for compulsory English medium," said Bade Saheb. The unemployed are waiting for the 50,000 jobs promised by the government, teachers are facing issues with GO 317 and the government is planning to introduce English medium in government schools without addressing the pending issues.