Dear Friends, It is very interesting to read the following recommendations on saving the local language. We should by all means give priority to our own mother tongue. There is no doubt about it.
But I am very much shocked by the folowing statement under recommendation 1.a. I repeat it below and give my comments on it 1a. All Indigenous/tribal and other linguistic minority children (hereafter, IM children) should have their first or own language (or one of them, in case of multilingual children) as their main medium of education, during minimally the first eight years (but absolutely minimally the first six years), in non-fee state schools. What is the mindset behind the special reference to Indegenous/Tribal and Linguistic Minorit children? Does this mean that onlly the Indegenous/tribal people should learn their education in their own language? DOes this also mean that non-Tribals and non-indegenous people have the previlege to study everything in English medium? Why there is distinction between Non-fee school and state run school? Doest this mean that those who run english medium business have the special advantage to do whatever they want and that the state has no control on these money centred institutions? The worst crimes are taking place in the English medium schools. Hardly we come across english medium schools that get just fee. Hardly there are any social consciousness. Are these Enlgish medium schools monitored and controlled by Government officials? WHat is the ruling for minority schools? Most of the minority schools are almost closed for the minority children. Many schools with a motto of serving the poor and the needy as their mission and vision seem to be focused on money, power and other forms of exploitations. The English medium schools seem to be the cause of social discrimination among the children and this tells upon the future of our country too. This is precisely why most of the children from English medium end up exploiting the poor as rich industrialists, engineers adn doctors. THese are the ones who evade income tax to the government too. At the end the poor are the ones to suffer. There should be a common policy of education in schools. Nationalising of schools and upgrating the standard of all rural schools is a must Whatver is available for a child in the city should also be available in rural areas and tribal villages. The GOvernment should increase her budget quota for education of the children. The Military budget should be cut into half and be spent for rural education facilities. This should be done for the next 20 years, which is more than enough to empower the country. The GOvernement should stop urban colleges for 20 years and focus all such institutions in rural areas. To start with, the Government should set up a special RTI office in every english medium school - with the money of the school- to check the money flow, donations, ( unwanted extravagance, exhorbitant fines, misuse of rish parents and other power centres etc ) and the way it is spent for the welfare of the children and teh society. Those English medium schools that are unable to take care of the free education of at least 10% local poor, should be closed down on the basis of indirect social discrimination. Some schools demand home works for children below 10 years ( 5th Std) and some schools arrange for special tution to children even under 10years under the same school teachers - for additional salary to teachers - there are several other forms of exploitations ( Predominantly in English medium ) schools. These are to be dealt with by educational authorities. There are several other concerns regarding how the future generation is exploited publicly in the schools and by which these schools are becoming breeding ground of social discrimination. I would be happy to invite any comments and further suggestions. Nithiya network.jharkhandi.com
