Ram-da, I am not saying that English is not useful but that in UN and other such bodies the focus is on Education For All -- and not on ENGLISH Edu For All.
Umesh --- Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Umesh, > > Thank you for agreeing with me, partways at least. > > >Anyway I wonder why English literacy is any > indicator of > >Indian's development thru education - > > Why would you wonder? English literacy is paramount > for any state to > progress. Yes, they could get by in English - > probably even make the IAS (in > Hindi), but without English they are severely > limited in any number of > things - from the sciences to the arts. > > English has also been a big factor for India being > considered as one of the > best places for outsourcing. > > Regional or national language jingoism is great for > filling the population > with pride, but doesn't get much more than that. > States that fought to throw > English out and opt for their own state language in > its stead, now find out > that whole generations of their "educated" can't > speak and barely write > English. Well versed in Hindi may get them jobs in > the Hindi belt, maybe > Maharastra/Gujarat/Punjab, but in the rest of the > country, they are > basically square pegs in round holes. > Regional languages MUST be taught. The best is to > have students learn both > the regional and English alongside each other. That > way it will also be > easier to help some of the regional languages > develop. > > Anyway, that my take. > > -Ram da > On 9/22/06, umesh sharma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > > I agree with you Ram-da whole-heartedly. Anyway I > > wonder why English literacy is any indicator of > > Indian's development thru education --when the > whole > > world is merely content with learning their own > > language. > > > > Umesh > > > > --- Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > C'da, > > > > > > This is a little worrying. One would have > expected > > > the big K to be far > > > better than the Bimaru states. > > > > > > >According to the report, Karnataka ranks much > below > > > even >'Bimaru' states > > > like Bihar and Chhattisgarh on the learning > >index. > > > > > > I sincerely want to believe this story, but > > > unfortuantely, I also seriously > > > doubt anything fruitful comes out of state like > > > Bihar. Been to the > > > Godforsaken place a couple of times, and I would > > > find it difficult to > > > believe that stuff like "stats" are not actually > > > made up or at the very > > > least accurate. > > > > > > Writing or speaking English is just not there. > They > > > my know Hindi and > > > Bojhpuri very well, but without an iota of > English, > > > we all know, there would > > > be serious limitations. > > > > > > I am not saying Karnataka doesn't have problems > in > > > education (or in other > > > areas) - but if I were a betting man, I would > place > > > my bets on the Big K any > > > day over Bihar. > > > > > > --Ram > > > > > > On 9/22/06, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > This in the land of Bangalore? > > > > > > > > cm > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The A,B,C Abyss > > > > > > > > Karnataka's primary school education has > bottomed > > > out > > > > > > > > SUGATA SRINIVASARAJU > > > > K For Can't > > > > * Karnataka ranks below Bimaru > states > > > on learning index > > > > * Ranks fourth from bottom in > reading > > > abilities, and is > > > > at the bottom in math skills > > > > * 52.9% kids in 7-10 age group > can't > > > read a simple paragraph > > > > * The problem is common to > > > government/private schools > > > > Following the International Literacy Day > jamboree > > > on September 8, the > > > > coalition government here has been taking out > huge > > > ads trumpeting its > > > > achievements in the area of primary and > secondary > > > education. If the > > > > propaganda machine is to be believed, the > > > JD(S)-BJP coalition has > > > > released Rs 5,103 crore for the education > sector. > > > > > > > > The funding and intentions seem impressive. > But > > > data thrown up in the > > > > latest Annual Status of Education Report > (ASER) > > > India for rural > > > > Karnataka tells a rather different, grim > story. A > > > survey covering > > > > 15,628 children in 540 villages and 534 > schools > > > across the state's 27 > > > > districts found that 52.9 per cent of the > children > > > in the 7-10 age > > > > group can't read even a simple small paragraph > > > (Level 1) and 72.5 per > > > > cent cannot read a story (Level 2). And 59.7 > per > > > cent cannot solve > > > > numerical sums of subtraction and 90.6 per > cent > > > cannot do simple > > > > division. > > > > > > > > While the all-India statistics spelled out in > the > > > ASER India report > > > > is itself worrisome, the Karnataka data is > > > shocking. The report is a > > > > coordinated effort of Pratham Resource Centre > with > > > hundreds of ngos > > > > working in the education sector across the > nation. > > > In Karnataka, the > > > > survey was supported by 18 organisations, > > > including the Azim Premji > > > > Foundation. > > > > > > > > According to the report, Karnataka ranks much > > > below even 'Bimaru' > > > > states like Bihar and Chhattisgarh on the > learning > > > index. Bihar fares > > > > badly when it comes to school infrastructure, > > > out-of-school-children > > > > percentage and access to learning material, > but > > > its children manage > > > > to top the nation's list when it comes to > learning > > > abilities. This > > > > when out-of-school-children percentage was > highest > > > in the country at > > > > 13.5 per cent, while Karnataka's was just 1.9 > per > > > cent. Only about > > > > 52.4 per cent had access to textbooks in the > > > eastern state's primary > > > > schools, but in Karnataka nearly 90 per cent > had > > > access. Yet, when it > > > > came to learning skills, Bihar's children came > in > > > fifth in the > > > > country for reading skills and third for their > > > arithmetic skills. > > > > Karnataka occupied fourth place from the > bottom > > > when it came to > > > > reading and took the last place in the country > > > when it came to > > > > arithmetic skills! > > > > > > > > "The huge surprise is that the situation in > > > Karnataka, TN and Gujarat > > > > is far worse than Bihar and Chhattisgarh.... > The > > > situation with > > > > respect to mathematics is also alarming. IT > hub > > > Karnataka needs to > > > > seriously think about the way mathematics is > > > taught in > > > > schools-government as well as private...," > says > > > the report. > > > > > > > > The ASER data makes the feelgood nature of the > > > state propaganda on > > > > school education seem a bit bizarre. The > > > government has declared its > > > > intention to achieve 85 per cent literacy in > the > > > state by 2007. But > > > > what about the quality of education imparted? > If > > > schoolkids at > > > > primary level are not picking up basic reading > or > > > math skills, what > > > > hope for the future when the syllabus gets > > > tougher? > > > > > > > > So is all the money the government is spending > > > going down the drain? > > > > Bhamy Shenoy, trustee of Pratham (Mysore) who > > > helped put the ASER > > > > report together, isn't optimistic: "This data > > > would've made headlines > > > > in any civilised country. Surprisingly, there > is > > > neither a mention > > > > nor a statement by our state leadership." > > > Karnataka education > > > > minister Basavaraj Horatti, busy attending > > > literacy rallies in rural > > > > areas, was unavailable for comment. > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > assam mailing list > > > > assam@assamnet.org > > > > > > > > > > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > assam mailing list > > > assam@assamnet.org > > > > > > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > > > > > > > Umesh Sharma > > 5121 Lackawanna ST > > College Park, MD 20740 USA > > > > Current temp. address: 5649 Yalta Place , > Vancouver, Canada > > > > 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone] > > Canada # (607) 221-9433 > > > > Ed.M. - International Education Policy > > Harvard Graduate School of Education, > > Harvard University, > > Class of 2005 > > > > weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > ___________________________________________________________ > > Win tickets to the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany > with Yahoo! Messenger. > > > http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/fifaworldcup_uk/ > > > Umesh Sharma 5121 Lackawanna ST College Park, MD 20740 USA Current temp. address: 5649 Yalta Place , Vancouver, Canada 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone] Canada # (607) 221-9433 Ed.M. - International Education Policy Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Class of 2005 weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ ___________________________________________________________ To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre. http://uk.security.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
