Revision as of 04:19, 3 July 2017

School education

States realize English is what people want

Hemali Chhapia,TNN | Jan 26, 2014

The Times of India

MUMBAI: It's not just parents across India who are confused about the time and importance to be given to education in English and the vernacular; the latest data from NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) reveals our education establishment is just as perplexed, with very little uniformity in the way regional languages are treated.

The number of hours in a week that local languages are taught

The NCERT study, which examines classes per week at both the Class V and Class VIII levels, states that while schools in Maharashtra have set aside 13 classes a week at both levels for Marathi, the highest in the country for the vernacular, the weekly school timetable in Nagaland includes only three lectures for the local language at the Class V level, and in a small number of districts in Arunachal Pradesh, only four to five periods are allocated per week for the regional tongue in Class VIII.

Almost 30% states devote six to seven periods a week in Class V for teaching the local language, the study says.

Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh are next to Maharashtra in emphasizing the importance of the native tongue, with 12 classes per week at the Class V level.

"At the Class VIII level, most states have allocated more than six periods," said SK Yadav, author of the study called the National Study on Ten Year School Curriculum Implementation.

The NCERT Curriculum Framework had, in 1975, recommended setting aside 25% of the total weekly teaching hours or eight periods per week for the regional language. This was raised to 30% in 1988. It was then recommended that 32% of total teaching time be set aside.

The number of hours in a week that English is taught

In spite of this, English seems to be scoring. Introduced towards the middle of elementary school, it is now offered at the Class I level in 26 states, making it clear that most states have realized that that is what people want.

"In general, parents have started sending their children to public schools and not to government schools. In the Framework of 2005, it is mentioned that introduction of English is now a matter of response by the people and less an academic or feasibility issue," Yadav said.

In fact, many states have rewritten the school timetable and upgraded English in the last two years by redirecting some of the classes set aside for regional languages for English. Educationist J M Abhyankar said the State Council for Education Research and Training has now assigned 4.5 hours for Marathi and 5 hours for English.

Classes earmarked for teaching of English in Class VIII vary from five to nine per week in different states. In almost a third of the states, English is taught for six periods a week, while states like Chandigarh, Lakshadweep, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have provided seven periods. In Jammu and Kashmir, a maximum of nine periods have been allotted for the teaching of English per week.

2015: The number of hours for English, local languages

The Times of India, September 11, 2016

Deepika Burli

NCERT survey reveals state of English in Indian schools

Jammu & Kashmir tops the charts for most English classes at the upper primary level with nine periods a week, a decade-long National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) study has revealed. The study was conducted under the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) that had suggested English be introduced as a second language at the primary level. The study pointed out that the choice of the subject rests with the parents and does not depend on academic or feasibility issues of schools.

In Karnataka, it was found five periods were dedicated to English in a week at all stages of schooling -primary, upper primary and secondary -while Sikkim dedicates 10 hours a week for teaching the language at the secondary level.

Along with Punjab, Manipur, Tripura, Odisha and West Bengal, Karnataka is yet to implement the NCF. Besides Sikkim, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have allo cated eight periods weekly for English-language teaching at the primary level. However, Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya do not give much importance to English.

In terms of giving importance to mother tongue, West Bengal, which conducts an examination for Bengali language for 200 marks for upper primary students, tops the list. At the secondary level in Karnataka, Kannada, offered as the first language along with Sanskrit and English, accounts for 125 marks. However, most states cap marks for the mother tongue to 100.

Karnataka schools dedicate six periods a week for Kannada, while Maharashtra has allocated 13 hours weekly for Marathi ­ the most in the country . Andhra Pradesh conducts 12 periods a week for Telugu at the primary level.

The report found that 15 states across the country follow NCERT prescribed curriculum and textbooks. On the other hand, 14 states have managed to integrate the NCERT prescribed syllabus within their own. Awareness programmes and financial aid from the ministry of human resource development would be provided to states that have not fully implemented the NCF.

The study pointed out that states and Union territories had prioritised languages in accordance with their sociocultural aspects.

While a majority of the states adhere to NCF, a few follow varying systems owing to the different parameters that govern their systems of education. The study was conducted to assess the status of the curriculum at schools introduced in 2000.

The report analysed the structure of the curriculum, working days, school hours, class hours in a week and pedagogical techniques among other aspects of school education in the country .

More recesses lead to more study

More recesses lead to greater willingness to study among students, a 10-year National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) survey has found. But only one recess period is provided in schools during the day in 23 states and Union territories. These schools recorded a total working time of six hours and a break ranging from 30-40 minutes daily. In Sikkim, where working hours are seven daily, students are given two breaks ­ one of 15 minutes and another of 35 minutes. The survey said that school hours tend to increase because of longer recesses, but also help break monotony . At the secondary school level, three recesses are given in schools in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Kerala, while Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra provide just two breaks daily.Interestingly, Puducherry has a system of just one 15-minute break throughout six-hour school day.

Linguistic patriotism for the poor, English and good jobs for the elite

Linguist Peggy Mohan said, "What we have created is an India where the elite have decamped to English, leaving it to the poor to keep our languages 'warm' for us in our absence. It is not surprising, then, that the poor have decided to follow us up the food chain into the privileged world of English."

Mohan added, "While they (parents) may know they are abandoning their heritage by putting their children early into English-medium private schools, they are sanguine about this, choosing to survive in the present milieu over being the reluctant custodians of local languages that have given them precious little in terms of livelihood in return for loyalty.

2008-14

Children attending English medium schools: 2008-14

The demand for English-medium education in representative Indian states, 2008-14; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, Sep 28 2015

The Times of India, Sep 28 2015

Rema Nagarajan

No. of kids studying in English doubles in 5 yrs

Politicians might try hard to push Hindi, but people are voting with their feet, opting to put their children in English-medium schools.While overall enrolment in schools went up by just 7.5% between 2008-09 and 2013-14, and enrolment in Hindi-medium schools went up by about 25%, enrolment in English-medium schools almost doubled in the same period. While the number of English-medium school students is still dwarfed by those in Hindi-medium, the growth in the English numbers is significant, jumping from over 1.5 crore in 2008-09 to 2.9 crore by 2013-14. In the same period, the Hindi numbers went up from 8.3 crore to 10.4 crore.

Interestingly , the highest growth in English-medium enrolment was in the Hindi speaking states. It was highest in Bihar, where it grew 47 times or 4,700% while Hindimedium enrolment grew by just 18%. In Uttar Pradesh, English-medium enrolment grew 10 times or by over 1,000% compared to just 11% in Hindi-medium enrolment. In other Hindi speaking states too English-medi um enrolment grew massively -525% in Haryana, 458% in Jharkhand, 209% in Rajasthan and so on.

These trends are based on data received from 14.5 lakh schools spread over 662 districts across 35 states and Union territories. English is the fastest growing medium of education in India, according to data received from states, which has been put together by the District Information System for Education (DISE) of the National University of Education Planning and Administration under the human resource development ministry .

Since 2010-11, DISE has been covering unrecognised schools and recognised and unrecognised madrassas, which in 2013 14 comprised 2.4% of all schools. While there is some underreporting of enrolment by medium of instruction, as acknowledged by DISE, the undercounting is not big enough to affect the overall picture.

UP and Bihar make up 53% of the students enrolled in Hindi medium schools. Add Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and these four states account for more than three-quarters of Hindi-medium students, close to eight crore. If the other three Hindi speaking states -Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Haryana -are added, it would account for 90% of those in Hindimedium, leaving about one crore children in Hindi-medium schools in the rest of the country . Of the 2.9 crore English-medium students, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala and Jammu and Kashmir, in that order, make up over 54%.

The highest proportion of English-medium enrolment was in Jammu and Kashmir, where almost all students are in English-medium schools.

The position in the states

Delhi: Increase in English medium schools, 2008-14

The Times of India, Oct 08 2015

Share of English medium students, Delhi, 2008-2014; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, Oct 08 2015

Rema Nagarajan

 Big shift from Hindi to Eng in city schools

 Enrolment in English medium up 4.5L in 5 Years

In 2008-09, only two of Del hi's nine districts had more students in English medium schools than in Hindi me um schools than in Hindi medium ones. Five years later, in 2013-14, the picture has flipped completely , with only three districts now having more Hindi medium students than English medium ones. For the state as a whole, there are almost as many stu dents opting for English medium as those in Hindi medium with the difference between the numbers of students enrolled in the two mediums at just over 53,000.From 37% of students in 200809, the share of English jumped to almost 49% by 2013-14. The district with the highest proportion of students in English medium schools are, not surprisingly , New Delhi (80%), South West (64%) and East Delhi (56%). The districts with the lowest proportion are North East (35%), North West and North (both 42%). Between 2008-09 and 201314, enrolment in Hindi medium fell by over 1.4 lakh, while enrolment in English medium in the same period rose by almost 4.5 lakh, according to an HRD ministry study . These trends are revealed in data from the states put together by the District Information System for Education (DISE) of the National University of Education Planning and Administration under the human resource development ministry . DISE has been covering unrecognized schools and recognized and unrecognized madrasas since 2010-11.

If the Delhi data is to be believed, there are no unrecognized schools in the capital though the all-India data shows that unrecognized schools comprised 2.4% of all schools in 2013-14. A total of 5,387 schools have been covered in Delhi. The number for English enrolment could be much higher if the hundreds of unrecognized so-called English medium schools in Delhi were counted.

Interestingly, two of the districts with the least pro portion of children in En glish medium, Northeast and North, have shown the highest growth in enrol ment in English medium, about 90% and 64%, respec tively.

Most districts showing high enrolment in English medium are also those with a large proportion of private schools such as East and Southwest where there are almost as many private schools as government schools. However, in New Delhi district, a relatively small district with just 98 schools and with the highest proportion of English medium students the number of government schools is higher, 58, com pared to just 40 private schools.

Without exception, in every district, government schools dominate among schools with only primary sec tion, and hence the number of children in Hindi medium too is highest in the primary section with a gradual shift to English medium in the higher classes. This is in keep ing with the pattern in other states as well.

Uttarakhand English as medium of instruction from 2018

Shivani Saxena, U'khand govt schools will teach in English, Jun 30 2017: The Times of India

Uttarakhand has drawn up an ambitious plan to shift the medium of instruction from Hindi to English in the approximately 18,000 government schools in the hill state. The state's education minister, Arvind Pandey , told TOI the project would be rolled out in a phased manner, beginning with the introduction of English as the medium of instruction in Class 1 from the 2018-19 academic year.

“We intend to start teaching in English in Class 1 from next year. Gradually , we will change the medium of instruction to English in all classes,“ Pandey said.

The minister said it would take a few years to complete the mammoth exercise. “New books in English will have to be arranged for students. We may have to appoint new teachers or train the ones already employed for smooth transition,“ he said. Meanwhile, the government has taken several small but consistent steps to ensure students in government schools embrace English.Pandey said state-owned schools have recently been sent a list of 75 common English sentences which they have to incorporate in their daily class routine.“Once children start learning small new sentences and words, it will be easier for them to pick up complex words later when the medium of instruction changes,“ he added.

The list of sentences has been prepared by the State Council of Educational Research & Training (SCERT) and includes greetings and small talk.

Some of the sen Some of the sen tences in the list are: “My apol ogies“, “Have a good weekend“, “I am obliged“ and “What a nice day“.

Schools appear enthusiastic about the initiative and are adopting unique ways to ensure learning is easier for schoolchildren. In Chakrata, Pankaj Kumar, deputy education officer, has asked teachers to write down the sentences on charts and hang them in schools.

“We will encourage students and teachers to use the shortlisted sentences from this academic session which starts in July . It is a great initiative which can be highly successful if everyone cooperates,“ Kumar said.

Earlier in June 2017, the state government began preparing a list of 50 common English words and sentences that would be introduced in schools to enhance the language skills of students.

Kids from schools which have Hindi as the medium of instruction often face challenges in competitive exams or while pursuing higher studies in streams like engineering or medical sciences where English is the primary medium of instruction. In 2016, the human resource development ministry , in an answer to a Lok Sabha question, had revealed that Hindi continued to be the primary medium of instruction in schools across India with around 49% students studying in Hindi-medium schools.

UP:  English in government schools from nursery level

Apr 07, 2017: The Hindustan Times

Uttar Pradesh plans to introduce English in government schools from nursery instead of Class 6 as part of a broader overhaul of the state’s education system that will blend nationalist and modern curricula, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has said.

In an interview to online portal Khabare.com, the 44-year-old leader said he had asked officials to prepare an education roadmap to enrol more students in schools, check cheating in examinations and introduce foreign language options from class 10.

“The traditional and the modern should blend. We should have an education system which promotes nationalism but is modern,” he told the website.

The controversial leader – who heads an influential Hindu sect in eastern Uttar Pradesh – has taken charge roughly two weeks ago but has already hogged headlines for anti-romeo squads, groups of policemen and women who patrol public spaces in cities and help thwart harassment. But many say they are little more than a moral policing gang that violate privacy.

But the CM defended the steps, saying there was no discrimination or harassment. “We are not taking decisions based on faces of people… so, no one who is following the law should worry…if people are sitting in parks, they are not committing any crime,” he told the portal.