Ever since YSR Congress party government led by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy announced introduction of English medium compulsorily in all the government schools, there has been an intense debate over the same across the state.
While nobody is per se objecting to introducing English medium in the government schools, there have been various suggestions to the government.
Some said the government should give an option to the students whether to choose English medium or Telugu medium, instead of thrusting English medium compulsorily on them.
Some others said there should be simultaneous English and Telugu medium sections in the schools.
Others suggested that the government should give sufficient training to the teachers first in teaching subjects in English, since untrained teachers would not be able to do justice to the students.
Veteran politicians like Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu suggested that the students should be taught in their mother tongue till schooling and later, they should be given the choice to move to the English medium.
Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu’s anguish is not against the English medium, but against Jagan for opposing the same when the TDP government took a similar decision during its regime.
But, Jana Sena Party chief and actor Pawan Kalyan seems to have gone a step ahead. He issued a statement that Jana Sena Party’s policy is to teach students in Telugu medium right from Kindergarten (KG) to Post-Graduation (PG).
He said if Jana Sena comes to power, he would make Telugu a medium of instruction from KG to PG.
“The next election plan will be to continue Telugu as the medium of instruction and students would be encouraged to take it up. We shall even provide free education to those who study from KG to PG in Telugu medium,” Pawan said.
One wonders whether Pawan has really gone crazy. At present, students have the facility to study in Telugu medium only up to undergraduate level.
No university in Andhra or Telangana has the facility to teach subjects in Telugu medium at the post-graduation level.
This is basically to ensure that students, after the completion of post-graduation, will have to compete with their counterparts in other universities in research, teaching and higher jobs. How Pawan is planning to introduce English at the PG level is a puzzle.
“If Jagan’s decision to introduce English medium at all levels is being question, then what about Pawan’s decision to teach subjects from KG to PG in Telugu medium? Is it not crazy?” an analyst asked.