SAD FLAYS ENGLISH IN SCHOOLS

CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday slammed the Congress government’s “directionless” decision introduce English medium in 2,750 schools without making any provision.

In a statement here, SAD spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said English was being introduced as a medium of instruction without any planning and would offset the entire school system as no teachers had been recruited for this purpose. “Since teachers will be taken out to teach from the present lot, it will also have an adverse effect on Punjabi medium instruction. This means neither English nor Punjabi medium instruction will be taught properly ,” he claimed.

Cheema said this move would undermine the prospects of Punjabi language in the state where it enjoyed the status of official language. “It will deprive younger generation from enjoying the privilege of learning in Punjabi ,” he said, criticising the “unnecessary haste” being shown by the state government.

Rejecting the education minister’s contention that implementation of English medium in the state-run schools was aimed at bridging their gap with private schools, the SAD leader said the Punjabi scholars and writers have completely refused to buy this anti-Punjabi language theory. He said it was not the medium of instruction which was reason why government schools lagged behind.