A recent trend of primary education shows a move towards English medium of instruction all over the country, including Odisha. Though everyone knows that mother tongue best suits a child in learning the basics, but this seems to be for the poor people only as the rich class in India prefers English medium from the very beginning of learning.
Now, MlAs, MPs, bureaucrats, academics, mediapeople and activists of vernacular language movement prefer to send their children to English medium schools. The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) reports about the increase in number of enrolment in English medium schools.
Almost all States in India have either fully or partly adopted English as medium of instruction from primary level and made their regional language as a compulsory language subject.
The courses in science, technology, engineering, medicine and mathematics and in technical fields are mostly written in English while major academic research papers are published also in English.
Today, in the global and Indian national job market, English is most preferred language for all official communication without which it is difficult to get employed in higher positions. It is estimated that about a third of world’s population now uses English which is most flexible and adoptable language.
It has adopted words from about 360 languages of the world.
There are about 5,100 languages spoken in the world and about 99 per cent of them are home to Asia and Africa, Pacific and American continents whereas only 1 per cent of them are in Europe. It is projected that only around a 100 of these languages will survive in future.
The Census of India 2001 has identified 1,500 distinct languages as mother tongues and these languages are grouped under 114 major languages out of which only 22 languages are scheduled languages included in the eighth schedule of the Constitution of India.
Out of these languages, about three languages are spoken by a sizable population in State of Odisha they are Odia, Santali and Urdu. As per Census 2001, 3.21 percent pe ple speaks Odia, 0.63per cent Santali and 5.01per cent speaks Urdu in the country.
It is mentioned in the Constitution of India (Article 343) that English is the official language for 15 years only and after that Hindi will be used but again it is decided to continue with English in responses to massive protest from south Indian States and others, opposing Hindi.
Article 348 says that language of the Supreme Court, High Court and orders, rules, regulations, bylaws, issues under constitution and law made by Parliament and the legislatures of States shall be in English.
Even today after 70 years of constitutional governance, the dominance of English language is to be found. The people those who know English are rulers and leaders of respective field and the common people those have no access to English are excluded from all spheres of social life.
The pioneer of modern India Raja Ram Mohan Ray had vehemently argued for modern education with English medium in India in his letter to Governor General William Pitt in 1823. He said the Sanskrit system of education would be best calculated to keep this country in darkness.
In 1816, he opened a school for boys whose medium of instruction was English. later, TB Macaulay in 1835 introduced English education through the English Education Act and it was approved by William Bentinck, the then Governor General of India.
Though English was discouraged as part of anti-colonial struggle but post Independent India witnessed the growth of English education in cities and mostly preferred by Indian ruling elites and today it is being realised by many States that the unemployment and backwardness are many ways linked to medium of education.
In this context the decisions by State Governments of West Bengal and Telangana can be cited. The Government of West Bengal has opened new English medium primary schools in North 24 Praganas,Nadia and Jalpaigudi. It is told that the decision of the left front Government in 1983 to withdraw English from primary level has affected the employability of the youths in the State. It is also argued that the outflow of students from established Government schools to private English medium schools can be checked with such initiative and the poor people who are unable to pay fee of private schools can admit their children in Government schools.
The Government of Telangana has introduced English as medium of instruction in all primary schools with regional language as a compulsory subject from primary level. Similarly, States such as Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir have already adopted English as medium of instruction from primary level though they are giving equal importance to the regional language.
There are a number of private, Government and semi-Government English medium schools operating mostly in cities and small towns, whereas many are coming up in rural areas. The recognised Government schools are not being favored by the parents; rather the less known private English medium schools become the best choice.
The educated upper class those who can afford have no issue with private schools but the poor and marginalised sections have no choice but to get admitted in Government schools and vernacular medium.
language is one the important means of participation. The deprivation of poorer sections from learning official language has affected their participation in governance.
The STs in Odisha constitute about one fourth of the population of the State. Many of the STs have not only their own language but dialect also. It is good to educate their children in mother tongue for learning the basics but after primary Class- 3 level education, they must be educated in English medium schools. Even from Class-1, English can be introduced as a subject.
If we want to see any radical change in the socio-economic life of the most marginalised section of our State, it is highly required to invest in primary education with good quality education of international standard which can be possible only through introducing English as medium of instruction.
The STs of the North Eastern States are doing much better in all India jobs because of English education.
The Government of Odisha is already doing this through Ekalabya model school and Anwesha programme but this covers a very insignificant few and leaves a vast majority of ST children in darkness.
It will be ideal for the State to convert all residential schools run by STs and SCs Development Department to English medium schools with introduction of all India syllabuses such as CBSE or ICSE. The State Government can use TSP and SCSP money for this purpose.
With the investment, it can change the life of the families by opening doors of new opportunities.
Odisha being a multi-lingual State, such decision of Government will not affect the Odia-speaking people as the mother tongue of STs is not Odia.