A delegation comprising Kannada scholars, writers and activists mounted pressure on Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday to rollback English education in government schools, which started under the previous H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition regime.
The delegation, which had scholar M Chidananda Murthy, writers Doddarange Gowda and Go Ru Channabasappa among others, told Yediyurappa that providing English-medium education in government schools can lead to a decline in Kannada medium schools.
“We’re not against the English language, but it should not be the medium of instruction,” Gowda said, according to a release from the chief minister’s office.
Kumaraswamy took personal interest in introducing English-medium sections because he believed it was a good way to improve admissions in government schools. The plan reportedly worked as these 1,000 government schools saw a rush for enrollments.
Murthy is said to have told the chief minister that the government should focus on ensuring Kannada became the medium of instruction in private schools.
Channabasappa went a step further and asked the government to enact a law under which the medium of instruction cannot be changed for Classes 1 to 7. “Every government takes differing decisions. We can’t allow experimentation in the education sector,” he said.
Yediyurappa assured the delegation that he will convene a meeting of experts soon and take necessary action.
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