In more than 32,000 government-run primary schools in Gujarat, English subject has been introduced from Class I for the first time in a move to make the students conversant with the language and to meet the demands of parents who want their kids to learn English language from the beginning stages.
“From this academic year, we have made the beginning of teaching English as a subject from Standard 1 in all government-run schools,” said Gujarat’s Education Secretary Vinod Rao.
He added that in the start, the students of Class I-II will be taught basics of the language and from Class III onwards, they will be taught writing also.
From Standard VI, students will be introduced to bilingual textbooks.
“It is a good move that at least some basic skills of English language will be taught to the students from the very first day of their schooling,” said Ramesh Thakor, a parent from Ganeshpura village of Mehsana district.
His son studies in class III in their village school.
The State education department is providing training to teachers as well as providing teacher’s handbooks in government primary schools on how to tackle the new subject.
“At least, they will learn something. It may not be as good as English medium primary school but the students will be able to learn something basic,” said Ramiben Desai, whose five year old daughter has enrolled in their village school in Vansajda in Gandhinagar district.
Move appreciated by Centre
Explaining the rationale of introducing the language in the schools, Mr. Rao said that most of the State government-run schools are in rural areas where the medium of instruction is the mother tongue (Gujarati) and there is a demand from parents for English.
Currently, basic English is introduced from Class IV in Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, Urdu and Tamil medium schools affiliated to the state Education Department in the State.
“We are not changing the medium of instruction in any school. It remains mother tongue but we are introducing English as a subject from Standard I itself and that’s been appreciated by the central government also,” Mr. Rao added.
The School education secretary in the government of India, Anita Karwal, a Gujarat cadre IAS officer, lauded the State government’s move.
In the State Assembly in last March, Gujarat education minister Jitu Vaghani had said that for Class I-II, the basic skills, and from Class III, they will introduce English as a full-fledged subject in all non-English medium schools. The focus will be on listening, speaking and writing aspects and it’s being done so that students start learning the language at an early stage and don’t face problems in future.
Challenge to find teachers
In another decision in line with introducing kids to English, the State education department will introduce dual-language textbooks for Mathematics and Science for Classes VI to VIII. In this system, each chapter will be published in both Gujarati and English in the same textbook.
“Due to lack of English in government schools, parents prefer private English medium schools in urban areas but unfortunately, there are no private schools in rural areas. It is good that the government has now realised the importance of the English language and is introducing it from Class I itself,” said Ranchhod Parmar,a local BJP leader from Sabarkantha district.
According to Mr. Rao, the government’s move has been appreciated by all stakeholders like students, parents, school teachers and others.
However, according to teachers, the government will have to recruit teachers who can teach the students from Class V or VI or at least train the teachers, who can impart the new language skills.
“We have to remember that most of the teachers in Government-run schools lack the adequate knowledge of teaching English so that will be a challenge,” a teacher from Sabarkantha district told The Hindu.
However, with introduction of English as a subject from the Standard I in State-run schools, the State government officials believe that it will help in staving off criticism on the quality of education in Gujarat schools.
Lately, debates on the education sector in the State and particularly the condition of State-run schools are at the centre of the BJP and Aam Aadmi Party’s political slugfest in Gujarat. The AAP has been attacking the State government over the quality of education in Gujarat schools, highlighting its lack of infrastructure and vacancies of teachers contrasting it with how AAP government reformed education sector in national capital Delhi.
