The Hindu : Front Page : Corpn. revives proposal to start English medium wing in primary schools

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Sunday, Jun 05, 2011
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Corpn. revives proposal to start English medium wing in primary schools

Karthik Madhavan

COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore Corporation has decided once again to take up the proposal to start a wing in its primary schools that will have English as the medium of instruction.

The civic body's Committee on Education, Play Ground and Parks will forward a proposal to the Corporation Council, which will debate and pass a resolution for approval from the State Government.

The Corporation's renewed interest in the proposal stems from the fact that the response to its ‘additional foundation skills' programme has been very positive.

On an experimental basis the Corporation, for three months, launched the programme in five primary schools to improve students' communication skills and ability to converse in English.

The programme found such a good reception among parents that the admission in the schools has gone up.

The Committee's Chairman R. Kalyanasundaram says English medium in primary schools is necessary because it will help the Corporation schools compete against private schools.

The only advantage the private schools have is English medium of instruction, with which they are able to draw students.

If the Corporation schools were to offer the same the admission in Corporation-run primary schools will increase and the civic body may not have to the face the situation of closing down its schools for want of strength. Six months ago, the Coimbatore Corporation Council passed a resolution to start separate wings in its schools of impart education in English.

It forwarded the resolution to the Government but nothing much came out of it. Armed with the results of the experiment, the Corporation proposes to once again move the Government. If the Government were to accord approval, the Corporation will have to recruit teachers and not follow the model adopted in high and higher secondary schools.

In the higher classes, the Corporation has been running the English-medium wing with teachers appointed by the parent-teacher association of the respective schools on contract basis.

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