Bengaluru schools teach Kannada in English, parents outraged

Recently, a parent happened to observe their daughter’s online class and noticed with shock that the Class 2 student had been taught Kannada in English.

“If we take the issue to the principal, they will only target our children,” the parent, whose daughter is with a private school in Bengaluru South, lamented.

Another outraged parent interrupted the online class to question the teacher’s approach and was even more astonished by the answer. “The teacher said it is to help children understand (Kannada) easily,” the parent said.

Since 2018, all private schools affiliated to CBSE and ICSE have been asked to teach Kannada as the first or second language, right from Class 1, under the Kannada Language Learning Act (2015). Though the schools reluctantly agreed, they have made a shoddy job of implementing the instruction.

“Hindi, however, is taught in Hindi,” a parent pointed out.

Angry parents have decided to approach the Kannada Development Authority and the Primary and Secondary Education Department to take action against the schools.

Another parent who spoke to DH wondered the point of learning a language if it is not used in the classroom. "In a class of 40 minutes, 30 minutes of the conversation will be in English. If this continues, children think it is the norm to learn Kannada," he said.

The parents provided some examples of how Kannada is taught in English.

In one of the online classes, the teacher substituted 'market' for the word 'santhe'. Such a simplistic translation would remove the cultural and contextual heritage that is part of the language.

Many private schools regard teaching Kannada as burdensome and avoid hiring teachers with specific skills in the language.

T S Nagabharana, chairperson, Kannada Development Authority, said parents can complain to the authority. "We can act if we receive complaints from parents or the public," he said.