Indian primary schools to end mandatory use of English
INDIA is to scrap the mandatory use of English in primary schools, with subjects instead taught in Hindi or regional languages like Punjabi, for the first time since its independence in 1947.
The move is part of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the largest educational shake-up in India in 34 years, spearheaded by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s Hindu-nationalist youth wing, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
As part of the reforms, school syllabuses will focus on “ancient Indian knowledge”. Removing English is seen as a way to promote a united Indian identity from an early age.
The abolition of English as a mandatory language fits in with the wider policy of driving Indian nationalism promoted by Narendra Modi, the prime minister.
While only 0.02 per cent of India’s 1.38billion citizens speak English as a mother tongue, it was seen as a vital bridge in a country of 19,500 different languages and dialects.
Parents expressed their anger at the decision on social media, saying it would reduce children’s employment prospects, with fluent English considered essential for coveted and wellpaid jobs overseas.
“Why would any progressive country want to eliminate [the] English language from primary school?” wrote one user on Twitter.
“India enjoys a global advantage for we have the highest English speaking workforce. We are heading towards disaster.”
In 2018, India was the highest recipient of remittances in the world with more than £60billion sent home.
Its citizens typically work in Englishspeaking countries including the
United Kingdom and Australia. Aside from the decision to scrap English in primary schools, the NEP has been received with enthusiasm by Indian parents.
As part of the policy, the Indian government will increase its spending on education from 4.4 per cent to six per cent.
India’s public education system is chronically underfunded, with a shortage of around 800,000 teachers nationally and at least 75 per cent more classrooms needed to meet demand in some areas, such as the northern state of Bihar.