Social change through English
The social divide and stigma associated with government schools will give way with a uniform language policy
The decision of some governments like that of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to introduce English medium for all classes from Class 1 to VI in its primary schools and conversion of such classes in Primary, Upper Primary and High Schools under all managements into English medium has opened up a serious debate on the efficacy of such a decision. The keen urge among even the common people, particularly in Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, where there has been a phenomenal growth of IT-related industry in recent times, is necessitating the thrust for English as the medium of instruction.
Keeping in mind the general aspirations among the students and parents that English medium from a very early stage will serve well in pursuing professional courses, the governments, parents and general public have been urging to make English education possible even in government-run Primary schools. At present, only the private and corporate schools have English as the medium of instruction and parents from marginalised sections simply cannot afford to send their children to such corporate and private schools where English is the medium, however, much they desire.
Price of English Medium
School education with English medium has become so expensive that many aggrieved parents and parents’ organisations have approached courts as a last resort to rein in private schools which mercilessly collect exorbitant fees. If there is one significant area in the present day educational system where governmental control is almost non-existent, then it is the functioning of the corporate schools and the way they fleece parents with prohibitive fees. While Hyderabad has hogged the limelight for its highest range in school fees, cities like Bengaluru and Chennai are in no way lagging. Though some States have constituted regulatory bodies to check the quantum of the fees collected by private schools, the regulations exist only on paper.
A cursory glance at the breakup of fees collected by corporate schools reveals the innovative ways they ingeniously adopt. While admission fee, tuition fee, transport fee, fees for uniform, books, etc, are common in every school, some schools collect computer and academic charges, sports fee, stationary charges, lab fee, extra-curricular activities’ fee as though they are something extraordinary components to be paid for.
Security deposit at mindboggling figures is another example of how the fee structure has no relevance to the role and functioning of the school. Some schools to overcome the subtle anachronism of ‘building fees’, which is banned in several States, term it as development fees. Fees for expeditions and trips are not uncommon.
On the other hand, government schools where the medium of instruction is mother tongue and where there is either no fee or only a nominal fee, cater only to the economically and socially marginalised sections. Thus the students who attend private schools and those who go to government schools are decided purely by the economic and social criteria of the parents. What is appalling is that of late, government schools have come to be associated only with the communities belonging to the lower strata. Landlords and the rich in rural areas still seem to feel “if the labourer’s son speaks English, then we have no use for him.”
The anachronistic mindset that the rich alone can afford English medium and they alone can do well in professional courses and corner decent jobs, is bound to change with the introduction of English as the medium of instruction in government schools. By this, all the schools run either by government or private corporate bodies uniformly will have English medium. Another positive cascading impact of the change in the medium will be on the exorbitant fees private and corporate schools collect. With the difference between government and private schools getting considerably narrowed due to uniform language policy, the social divide and the stigma associated with government schools that is perceived now is bound to give way.
Language Policy
A glance at the reaction of various sections on the proposed language policy is also indicative of the diagonally opposite perceptions some of these groups have on the question of English as the medium. While the landed gentry and the cartel of the corporate schools are vociferous in opposing the move to introduce English as a medium at the school level, the socially disadvantaged sections have been very vocal in its favour.
The New Delhi-based Centre for Dalit Studies recently stated that English medium is a tool to empower downtrodden sections. Further, at a rally organised by the Dalit Bahujan Centre, in Vijayawada, several civil society activists, welcoming the decision of the Andhra Pradesh government, stated that “the move is sure to usher in a social revolution”.
There is a general feeling in some quarters that English being the language of the British, who once were our colonial masters, should be abhorred. There would be no bigger fallacy than this as English is no more a language of only the people of England. It is there in most countries and is rightly hailed as the international language. English is just a language and as we are aware, language is only a vehicle of thought and not an end by itself.
Indians are known to have mastered the English language though it was thrust on the unwilling natives. As Gandhi himself has conceded that “English was a jewel that the British left behind for us”. Today India has more number of scholars on Shakespeare or Milton or Ben Johnson than in England itself. Indians have the reputation to speak “good English” and write “correct English” and today, that is the secret of success of Indian professionals in the IT sector globally when compared with a Chinese or Japanese. The language needed now is more of functional English, a kind of Indian English and not necessarily, the Queen’s English.
Inherent Hurdles
However, the decision to have English medium from school level, warrants, apart from the political will, concerted efforts in training the teachers, preparing the needed teaching materials and ensuring other infrastructural facilities, to make the change more purposeful.
It seems from the media reports that the AP government is geared to see that English medium in government schools becomes a reality. If the AP government introduces English as the medium of instruction in government schools, will neighbouring Telangana be far behind?
(The author is a retired Professor of History, at the University of Hyderabad)
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