Udaya Narayana Singh, director of the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), on the Karnataka High Court judgment that the State could insist on the medium of instruction in primary schools being in the child’s mother tongue or Kannada only in government or aided schools, not in private or unaided ones, in Outlook:
“First, it opens up the complex question of linguistic rights. Are individual linguistic human rights more sacrosanct or is it the social agglomerate that has the right to decide what is ideal as the school language? It is generally the individual rights that receive protection in a legal system.
“Second, although experiments worldwide prove one’s mother tongue is the best language to be educated in, the market forces tilt the balance in favour of an option that suits its needs.
“Third, none of the players gives a serious thought to a pluralistic option, whereby all schools develop a programme that allwos their children to be proficient in both local and global languages.”
Children do not insist on rights. It is our idea that children have to start their education with ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’ that makes us fight against our own languages. When we start a child’s education in a foreign language, we are planting the idea that education is nothing but inculcating foreign ideas. A poisonous recipe that turns us into a nation of imitators. If the language spoken at home is the mother tongue, the language of the land is the father tongue. It takes a community to raise a child.
This is from a 2004 report on a Supreme court judgement on the same issue:
“Ipso facto it is not possible to accept the proposition that the people living in a particular state cannot be asked to study the regional language. Learning different languages would definitely bridge cultural barriers and contribute positively to the cultural integration of the country. It is appropriate for the linguistic minority in a state to learn the regional language. Reluctance to learn the regional language will lead to its alienation from the mainstream, resulting in linguistic fragmentation within the state” anathema to national integration.
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my vote is for system in which
science, maths and english are in english
social studies and kannada are in kannada
fast changing universal ideas in english.
local ideas and civilization ideas in local languages.
i only insist that this be universal within the state.
let rural/kannada/low income crowd be enriched by science.
let urban/english/high income crowd be enriched by kannada.
i dream of the next gnyaanapeeTha award winner in KA to be from Bishop Cottons, Bangalore. and the next fields medal winner from basavana bagewadi. why not?
Any solution which imparts knowledge of multiple languages is great. All the studies I have read of say that learning more than one language as a child helps in myriad ways. In addition to making the child a better citizen of the world.
The only problem is – how do you reconcile between the numerous state languages in India and the freedom of movement provided by the constitution.
So if a child goes to school in Karnataka and learns some subjects in kannada and then her/his parents decide to move to Kerala, then what? How will be child be able to take part in those subjects in his new environment? Will he have to unlearn the old things he learnt in kannada? How will be make up for the lost time in learning Malayalam? Wont such a child be cheated of the right to be educated with no boundaries and become a contributing member of society by means of what he learnt at school?
Or do we just not bother and let that be the problem of the child/parents? Or follow the current half hearted system of kendriya vidyalayas etc. for such people who migrate from state to state?
Just another example of how our large size is making it difficult to improve ourselves at a local level. Imagine if our planners in Karnataka had to plan and implement the basic education system only for Karnataka. TS’s ideas could be put into action today!
In any case TS ideas are simple, implementable and profound. Add hindi as a subject wherever possible (where teachers are available etc.) and more emphasis on vocational and practical aspects of education (and less theory and rote learning). If the changes are slowly but surely implemented – the bright future which our country is destined for, will be come sooner than later.
Why did those schools apply to run Kannada medium schools in the first place?
Why didn’t they fight the rule which restricted opening of newer English medium schools from the day 0!?
One reason that the govt. gave was that density of English medium schools were more and they wanted newer Kannada medium(till lower primary) schools to be started.
If schools are properly regulated then we will see the closure of more than half of existing schools. These days, all you need is some space which can even be a 60×40 site, facing a busy road or even a highway!
Supposedly, some Christian schools have conveniently ignored teaching the theory of evolution! They are supposedly quoting scriptures in place of that!
Are they teaching Intelligent Design and all that bullshit?
Can the media please look into this and clarify?
I would appreciate it more than your politically catalysed sting operations!
Multiple languages is a reality of our country and we should be proud of it. kannada should be made a mandatory subject till PUC/12th everywhere in KA and the medium should be left to the parents to decide. The system that was followed in Vijaya high school, National etc was just perfect.. hesarige english medium but most of the teaching was in kanglish.
I will go ahead and add that samskruta should also be made a compulsory subject atleast in high school.. afterall it is the mother of all indian languages
Sanskrit (samskruta if you want) is a dead language. And hardly of any practical use to most people. It will just be a burden on the teachers and students. Is ok if a private school chooses to teach it but how can it be a compulsory part of the syllabus. (the school I went to had sanskrit from 5th to 8th – i dont remember much of it nor has it been of any practical use – but then I haven’t retained much of anything I was supposed to have learned at school).
English is a far better and practical choice. Hindi too, though there may be an argument against teaching hindi for other reasons.
It is imperative to teach science, math, some elements of the arts, civics and practical skills (how to make things by own hands, how to repair things etc.) to as broad a section of our society as possible. The future of our nation depends on this.
On the practical skills, looks like they had a good system going in ancient India:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kal%C4%81
Wish they taught skill number 10 in our school!
‘Child’s mother tongue or Kannada’ – will the Govt open Konkani, Tulu and Coorgi schools? All these are official languages of Karnataka
nilesh,
when schools here teach Malyalam, Tamil and Telugu, why not Konkani, Tulu and Kodava?
You mean Konkani/Tulu/Kodava medium schools?
People are fighting for getting content to be published in these languages, you want to them to schools in that medium?
Let them eat cakes!
Sorry It should have been Kodava. Thanks.
Content what content? Why should every thing been in writing, is the British Law in writing.
Just because these languages have no original script, does not mean that it can’t be taught in school, I know in Goa the new trend is to send there wards to Konkani medium school.
What does English rhythms teach — ‘rain rain go away, go away to spain’. India needs rain. Other one is ‘London bridge is falling down’ who cares if it does.
Do not force this language by making it official/classic. Let the parents choose what is best for their children, Government please stay away from this issue.
I am a kannadiga who has studied in Kannada medium in north Karnataka. I know how much difficult it is to cope in the later stages of life.
Kannada as a language is ok to study and communicate and let it remain as so. If it grows on its own merit well and good or it will follow other dying languages.
Mother tongue and regional language- these are quite confusing. As we have Urdu medium schools can we have Telugu/Kodava/Malayalam medium schools in Karnataka. Imparting knowledge is more important. Even the so-called convents/English medium schools come down to the language that is most used in the region. In the struggle it is the poor parents who are caught in the dilemma. Provide good education. Improve the quality of teaching and text books.
Kodava,Tulu and Konkani are given step motherly treatment in Karnataka. All schools must have the option of learning these languages as well. Imperialistic Kannadigas have virtually ensured a slow death of these languages in their own heart land.
Kodava, Tulu and Konkani people should themselves take up the task of promoting education in their own languages. Kannadigas are not preventing them from doing so. They should pull their act together and do something constructive and future-looking. But the big question is – do they have the dream and capability to erect the massive education system we’re talking about here? If not, it’s plain stupid to blame others for their lack of endeavor.
Kannadigas, who are perhaps the most linguistically tolerant people in the world, are more than happy to help the people of these languages in this regard. There’s stuff that we all can learn from each other in this journey. But the question is, do they really want to go on this journey or have they given up?
All the noble prize winners from India except amartya Sen have won the laurels by writing in their own languages.
Primary Education is always effective if its taught in the kids mother tounge..Time and again, this has been proved..The students who excel in CET/GATE/IIT-JEE are mostly from the rural backgrounds and will have got their primary education in their respective local languages and the statistics says all about the effectiveness of primary education in the local language…
I’ll tell you why this decision is a blow to anybody pro-Kanada (not just “groups” – that’s a freakin’ English Media word). It’s because this decision stops once and for all any need for anybody in the future to try and improve education in Kannada. Government schools will also switch over to English medium , thereby killing Kannada. And again, we should care about Kannada because that’s what we are. That’s the only medium which can help us get where the Japs have gotten, where the Germans have gotten, where the Israelis have gotten w.r.t. education and economic status.
So Now I understand that the medium of instruction for 5.5 crore people should depend on pains undergone by children whose parents have to migrate. Thanks for enlightening me.! Well imagine this.. crores of people struggling to learn english in their own land and becoming mental wrecks. Till date even I used to believe that English language only can help us understand the world around us.
We are in a strange kind of Germany where Japanese is being thrust in our throats.