Himachal: English to be medium of teaching in all govt schools

Subhash Rajta

Shimla, June 27

English will be the medium of instruction up to Class V in all government schools affiliated to the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education from the next academic session. “We have got approval to make all government schools English medium from the next session,” said Ashish Kohli, Director, Elementary Education, here today.

Stemming migration of students

• The decision was taken to stem the steady migration of students from government schools to private schools.
• Surveys showed that the biggest reason behind people preferring private schools was English as the medium of instruction.
• As many as 20,000 primary teachers had been given training to prepare them for teaching in English medium.

In the current academic session, the government has introduced English as the medium of instruction in Class I and II. The decision was taken to stem the steady migration of students from government schools to private schools. In surveys done by the department, the biggest reason behind people preferring private schools was English as the medium of instruction. “Parents demand that their wards be taught in English medium. And it’s better that there’s no disparity in terms of the medium of instruction between the government and the private schools,” said Kohli.

He said that 20,000 primary teachers had been given training to prepare them for teaching in English medium. “Teachers are qualified and well equipped to teach in English medium. The training was mostly about minor orientation and to facilitate the smooth switchover from Hindi to English,” Kohli added. “Besides, we have written to the HP Board of School Education to publish books up to Class V in English from the next academic session,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, the use of English in Class I and II seems to have evoked a good response at the grassroots level. According to Narayan Sharma, a JBT in a primary school at Cheog, about 30 km from Shimla, the use of English in Class 1 has reduced the migration of students to private schools after taking pre-primary education. “We started teaching Class 1 in English medium last year after taking the consent of the School Management Committee. This year, 90 per cent children from the pre-primary section have taken admission to Class 1 in our school. Earlier, only 25 per cent to 30 per cent students would stay back and the remaining went to a private school,” he said.