The Hindu : Karnataka News : `English must be taught from first standard'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

`English must be taught from first standard'

Staff Reporter

`90 per cent of parents favour English being taught'

BANGALORE: Participants in a seminar on "Learning English as a language, and social justice" were in favour of the introduction of English as a language of study from the first standard in all the government schools in the State.

The seminar was organised by the SC/ST Teachers and Staff Association of Bangalore University here on Sunday.

The former Minister for Primary Education H. Vishwanath said the Government should introduce English as a language from the first standard in all its schools towards ensuring social justice.

There is the argument in some quarters that parents should decide whether English should be taught in primary school. Writers, intellectuals and pro-Kannada agitators holding that view must realise that 90 per cent of parents favour English being taught, he said.

Parents in rural areas also want their children studying in government schools to learn English, Mr. Vishwanath said.

The president of Sarvodaya Karnataka, Devanur Mahadeva; the convener of the State unit of the Dalit Sangharsh Samiti, Mavalli Shankar; the president of the Federation of Backward Castes, J. Srinivasan; and the Professor of History in Bangalore University, S. Chandrashekar, spoke.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, M.S. Thimmappa, presided over the seminar.

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