English medium up to sixth standard only in next academic year

Amaravati: Amending the earlier orders, the State government has issued new orders to convert the school education from Telugu medium to English medium upto sixth standard only, from the ensuing academic year. It was earlier decided to convert the medium of instructions in Enlgish upto eighth standard. Government issued these amendments as decided in the recent cabinet meeting.

In a GO MS No 85, B Rajsekhar, Principal Secretary, stated that, Government accord permission to the Commissioner of School Education to convert all classes from I to VI in Primary, Upper Primary, High Schools under all managements into English Medium from the academic year 2020-21 and gradually increasing each further class from the next consequent academic years in superseding the earlier orders in the matter.

However, the Commissioner of School Education shall take appropriate and adequate efforts to implement Telugu or Urdu as compulsory subject depending on the current medium of instruction in all the Schools compulsorily.

For successful implementation of English medium, the Commissioner of School Education was directed to deploy required teachers in the School as per the staffing pattern prescribed by the Government from time to time and as per pupil teacher ratio for single medium.

The AP State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) is directed to take necessary action for designing and development of Teacher hand books, training of teachers in English medium teaching skills and knowledge, compendium of best classroom practices and other pedagogical material for supporting the teachers to be skilled in English medium teaching.

Director, SCERT in coordination with Commissioner of School Education shall take comprehensive action for online assessment of the current English proficiency levels of the Teachers, design appropriate training programs for enchasing the English Medium teaching skills for the teachers.

Intensive and extensive trainings must be ensured during the current academic year and during the Summer of 2020 for equipping the Teachers to teach in English Medium from academic Year 2020-21 for classes I to VI. Number of trainings shall be given to the Teachers until improving their English Medium Teaching skills in specific subjects and in general.

Action shall be taken for reviving the English Language Teaching Centers & District English Centers (DECs) and re-locating them in District Institutes for Education & Training (DIETs).

Director, Text Book Press, should take action to obtain correct indents and ensure supply of English Medium Text Books to the Schools as per student enrolment for classes I to VI well before the starting of the academic year.

Keeping in view of the conversion of all schools and classes from I to VI into English Medium, requirement of Teachers can be arrived at and proposals should be submitted to Government by the Commissioner School Education.

In future, Teacher recruitments, qualified candidates with the best proficiency in English Medium teaching should be recruited, the government mandated in the same orders.