Medium of Instruction – Only Parents should decide
It is nice to see a very positive debate developing on the subject of medium of instruction. The views are varied and the debate now seems to be raging.
But the crux of the matter is still alive. The parents know what is best for the child and the parents must have the right to decide. Who are the first educators of the child? Certainly not the educationalists. Certainly not the pre-primary teachers. The first educators of the child are the parents. The parents, therefore, have every right to decide what is best for their child.
"Why do you want to enforce the mother tongue,” is what a Supreme Court bench, that was headed by no less than the chief justice of India KG Balakrishnan, noted in a judgement passed some while ago. "English enjoys universal acceptability," the court also observed. What we need to note are the thoughts, though the words were pronounced in a slightly different context.
West Bengal has also been in the forefront as far as imparting English as medium of instruction goes. The state’s School education minister Partha De is reported to have said not so long ago: “We had to introduce English medium of instruction in the government and government-aided schools because despite good performances in the board examinations, our students fail to perform well in the competitive examinations.” A fact that Goan parents have learnt the hard way in the last two decades and a fact that we don’t want to live with anymore.
In Goa it is a well-known fact that most parents admit their children in the unaided English medium schools and let them study there only until Std IV. After that they are shifted on to prominent aided schools, in Std V, because the medium of instruction then is English everywhere. Does Marathi/Konkani as medium of instruction really help? Or is this a ploy to ensure that the business of education flourishes?
The students who study in English medium unaided schools certainly have an edge. Most ministers and other political stalwarts have verified this fact by sending their children to these schools. ‘O Heraldo’ has been in the forefront of exposing this. While the double standards have been in play since long, it is time that some realization dawned.
The issue of which language is the mother tongue and what mother tongue really means is something that can be debated endlessly with both sides making some good points to defend their point of view. Does it mean that if I speak English or Portuguese at home that I become anti-Indian? Or does it make me anti-Indian Culture? Or does it even make me anti-social or anti-national? People will speak the language that they are most comfortable with. What is the harm in that? In fact, that is what keeps families together and that is also what keeps friends together.
What the parents are asking for in Goa is something very practical. We say that English should be included as one of the approved languages for medium of instruction in primary schools. Konkani and Marathi can continue to be the other languages of instructions. We need to have the parents exercise their right to decide on this. Only they can make the best choises for their children.
The Azad Maidan and the Lohia Maidan rallies that were by the parents, of the parents and for the parents, said it all. “Actions speak louder than words; don’t be deceived by all those fancy talkers’ is what the lyrics of a famous song of yesteryear tells us. It is so true for Goa at the present time. The ‘action’ (the crowds that swarmed together at Azad Maidan and Lohia Maidan) spoke louder than any words proclaimed by anyone. The ‘fancy talkers’ are now raising their heads. We won’t be deceived. We have our focus right.
I am surprised that a forum called Bhartiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch has sprung up against English being made one of the mediums of instruction. While we do respect what our elders have to say in this regard, we do not really know what the whole idea behind this Manch really is. Those who attended their rally in Panjim were definitely not parents. They were probably activists and politicians and a few educationalists. Also, it is really appreciable that the Manch tried to show its secular colors with even two Catholic priests in its fold. We parents have nothing against the Manch and its thinking. What we say is let the grants also be extended to schools who wish to switch to English medium and let the grants to Konkani/Marathi medium school continue as before.
What we would like to tell the Manch, though, is that the times have evolved. One of the Manch members is the former education minister and former chief minister. I would like to ask her what she has done to promote Konkani as a medium of instruction. There is not even a DEd college that trains teachers to teach in Konkani. Why has this happened? Many of us do say Konkani is our mother tongue but is this not step-motherly treatment to the official language of our state! The education ministers over the years have not even considered how quality education could be imparted in Konkani. Why is this former chief/education minister now making noises along with a few individuals who are probably not in touch with reality? Why the hypocrisy? I would direct this question to the Manch and more specifically to the former minister. As a result of this, is it true that our students today are being taught by unqualified teachers?
All said and done I think we need to focus on the right to education for our children. But the right to education must take into consideration the will of the people. The right to education must take into account the will of the parents and the right to education must look into the overall betterment of education. Finally, the right to education must ensure quality education for the child so that he/she can surf the net, participate in debates and group discussions, join in any discussion and air his/her views and grow in stature with good inclusive education.
The kids face numerous problems while they think in Konkani/Marathi, translate mentally into English and then speak or write. They are then surely bound to come up with statements that can cause humiliation and ridicule. We must avoid these situations at any cost.
The call centre offers good opportunities for those passing out from college to kick-start their careers. But no call centre would like to employ youth who have an influence of their mother tongue on their English speaking. I have witnessed this personally when a friend of mine from Maharashtra made attempts in vain and got rejected at every attempt. He evolved from the Marathi medium primary school. Also on a recent visit to Delhi I leant that a young Goan singer was told by a popular band member of a rock band who also organizes events, “Goans cannot speak English.” And in yet another instance, I was asked by a corporate honcho on a visit to Mumbai, “Where are the great English speakers from Goa gone?” The time has come for us to think and contemplate on these aspects.
It is time to grow out of our small world and look at the larger globe around us. Opportunity is immense and we need to grab it with both hands. Goa was known for ‘good English speakers’ until a few years ago. We have lost out because we have lost our focus.
In a democracy we must be offered choices to choose from. English has always been accepted as an Indian language and must be one of the choices for medium of instruction at primary level. Political compulsions should not play with the quality of education and the lives of our young minds. We parents know what is best for our kids. Let the parents decide.
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