Wednesday 12 July 2017

Local languages and English

12 July 2016 at 09:53 ·

Local language education base equally for the rich and the poor. English hegemony has to stop. That will usher in an equality that a revolution may not.

A large number of my village children have the cutting edge brightness that is the so-called IIT grade IQ. What handicaps them apart from all socio economic liabilities is that their proficiency is in Telugu primarily. In that sadly colonized land that worships English.

Siddharth Mohan Nair Why not teach them English, mam? Regional languages are important but will that not be a handicap if they go on to work in a place where their regional language isn't used?

Aparna Krishnan Practically, yes. And i do teach them English.

Aparna Krishnan But the English of the English-speaking parents' children will always be superior, and these local language children will always stay handicapped. So if the recommendation to make it local language medium for all children is implemented the field gets levelled to a significant extent.

Aparna Krishnan Yes, its a distant wish. Part of that wish is that all skills get the same value and returns as schooled skills.

Siddharth Mohan Nair That's true, mam, but i still feel that it will be better to teach the local language children good English.

Aparna Krishnan Till things change substantially we will need to. But some one soul in one village might. In a large scale it is not possible as the teachers themselves know little english. But for us, no one in our village can teach the children english, for instance. Only solution is to demand local language instruction for all - rich and poor - so that they can compete equally.

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