Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's plans of
introducing English in government schools is facing opposition from her
political rival, DMK chief M Karunanidhi. He said, learning in the native
language alone will nurture self-learning and a non-native language will
obstruct it.
Experts agree with the DMK chief, but they also
point out that with little foundation in English, rural students are unable to
cope in college where most subjects are taught in English. Merlia Shaukath
Tanseer, Manager, Teach for India, a non-profit organisation says that, it will
be interesting to see how many politicians send their children to Tamil medium
or Hindi medium schools, or for that matter to government run public schools.
Statistics also prove that more and more poor
people are opting out of government schools in favour of private schools
because they feel learning English gives their children a better chance.
Like Shashikala, a resident of a slum in Chennai, who
has got all her three children admitted to a private school. She is spending Rs.
60,000 a year on their fees because she hopes that an English medium school
will give her little ones a better future. "My name is Sathish. I'm
studying fifth standard. I want to be a doctor," her son Sanjay proudly
says in English.
According to annual status of education report, admissions
in private schools are up 15 per cent in Class II, while the government schools
see a decline in the enrolment rate.
Tamil Nadu produces more than a lakh engineering
graduates every year, but recruiters say 80 per cent of them are unemployable
for lack of competence in English. They say Amma's move, if implemented well, could make Tamil Nadu the
capital for quality personnel. "Once you leave school, it's not the
percentage of marks that matter, it's about how well you can articulate and go
about your job. If we can make them speak better, we will be the number one
state," said Joshua Madan Samuel, COO, Covenant.
The DMK's anti-Hindi agitation in the 60s stopped a
generation of youth from learning Hindi. With no national language, English has
emerged as a passport for success. Is the DMK now pushing for more damage for
narrow political gain?
There is one more fun from Mr. Karunanidhi, his daughter Kanimozhi (2G
fame) was a student at Presentation convent church Park one of the famous
English convents in Chennai. This guy, because of his anti-Hindi movement has
spoiled the generation between 1970-1990. Now these people who are in their
working age will suffer if they travel to anywhere in North
India. Similar is his standard with English, I myself has seen Tamil
medium students from villages struggling to cope up in engineering colleges
despite being brilliant. I think this is a good and first move from Jayalalithaa.
I would be glad if Hindi is also introduced in government schools.
