<p>It appears that days are numbered for Kannada medium schools in Tamil Nadu, with the government in the neighbouring state making learning of Tamil mandatory for all students.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Kannada schools could face permanent closure in Tamil Nadu in the next five years, say concerned teachers of the language. Parents of students in these schools are already in a dilemma as to which medium of instruction will their children be studying this academic year. <br /><br />Tamil Nadu introduced a law from 2006 for compulsory teaching of Tamil as the first the language at schools in the state, from class I to X. English is taught only as a second language. <br /><br />Kannada used to be the first language in the Kannada medium schools before the Act came into force. English was the second language. As per a recent government order, Tamil will be the mandatory first language for the SSLC exams from the 2015-16 academic year. Students have to pass in Tamil, irrespective of the medium of instruction they have studied in, including Kannada.<br /><br />As per the order, students who have studied in Kannada medium from class I to VIII and are in class IX this year, have to study Tamil as the first language from this year. Else, they will have a problem when they write the SSLC exams next year.<br /><br /> The government order has caused great inconvenience to Kannada medium students in 28 primary, nine middle, three high schools and two pre-university colleges of Talavadi firqa (hobli) of Tamil Nadu near the border with Karnataka. <br /><br />Two-language policy<br /><br />Tamil Nadu has a two-language policy in its schools, with English being the second language. This leaves students with a non-Tamil mother tongue to study that only as an optional subject, but it will have no recognition whatsoever. This very factor could sound the death knell for Kannada.<br /><br />Another problem is that students who have so far studied Kannada as the first language from class I to X will not be eligible for government service in that state, said a teacher on condition of anonymity.<br /></p>
<p>It appears that days are numbered for Kannada medium schools in Tamil Nadu, with the government in the neighbouring state making learning of Tamil mandatory for all students.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Kannada schools could face permanent closure in Tamil Nadu in the next five years, say concerned teachers of the language. Parents of students in these schools are already in a dilemma as to which medium of instruction will their children be studying this academic year. <br /><br />Tamil Nadu introduced a law from 2006 for compulsory teaching of Tamil as the first the language at schools in the state, from class I to X. English is taught only as a second language. <br /><br />Kannada used to be the first language in the Kannada medium schools before the Act came into force. English was the second language. As per a recent government order, Tamil will be the mandatory first language for the SSLC exams from the 2015-16 academic year. Students have to pass in Tamil, irrespective of the medium of instruction they have studied in, including Kannada.<br /><br />As per the order, students who have studied in Kannada medium from class I to VIII and are in class IX this year, have to study Tamil as the first language from this year. Else, they will have a problem when they write the SSLC exams next year.<br /><br /> The government order has caused great inconvenience to Kannada medium students in 28 primary, nine middle, three high schools and two pre-university colleges of Talavadi firqa (hobli) of Tamil Nadu near the border with Karnataka. <br /><br />Two-language policy<br /><br />Tamil Nadu has a two-language policy in its schools, with English being the second language. This leaves students with a non-Tamil mother tongue to study that only as an optional subject, but it will have no recognition whatsoever. This very factor could sound the death knell for Kannada.<br /><br />Another problem is that students who have so far studied Kannada as the first language from class I to X will not be eligible for government service in that state, said a teacher on condition of anonymity.<br /></p>
