APPENDIX N-- DESIRABILITY OF CHANGING THE MEDIUM OF COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS FOR PREPARATORY SCHOOLS FOR THE ARMED FORCES, WHERE THE MAXIMUM AGE LIMIT IS BELOW 17 YEARS, FORM ENGLISH INTO THE REGIONAL LANGUAGES ENUMERATED IN THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
So far as the importance of English in the defence forces and in the preparatory schools for these forces is concerned, there can be no two opinions about the necessity of the continuance of English. In the programme of the courses of studies at these preparatory institutions, English should occupy an important place and a serious attempt should be made to enable the cadets to acquire proficiency both in colloquial English and in technical terminology.
2. This memorandum does not aim at changing the emphasis on English in the defence forces or in the training at the preparatory institutions. What is here suggested is that in the competitive examination for admission to these preparatory institutions, the medium should be not English, but the various regional languages enumerated in the Constitution. This suggestion is made on the following grounds:
(a) If the medium for the examination is a language over which the candidates have better command, it will be easier to test the real merit of the candidates and to give opportunity to a larger number of boys belonging to remote parts of the country than has been possible to. do so far.
(b) During the time of the British there used to be, in most States in northern India, two categories of Middle schools (viz., schools for the children up to the age group 14 or 15 years). In the Middle English schools, English used to be taught from Class III or IV onwards. In a Middle Vernacular school, English was not taught at any stage. The majority of schools in northern India were Middle Vernacular schools and most of them were situated in rural or semi-urban areas. At that time it was not the policy of the then Government to give opportunities to pupils from the Middle Vernacular schools for entering into the officers' class in the defence services. These boys were automatically eliminated from competing for admission into these schools because of the medium for the examinations for admission being English. With the advent of Independence it was expected that equal opportunities would be given to boys from the rural and urban areas for admission into these institutions. The continuance of English as the medium of examinations for admission has however,
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meant no change in the state of affairs. A student passing out of the Middle Vernacular school has no chance.
(c) Some States like Bihar and Bombay have abolished the distinction between Middle Vernacular and Middle English schools. All the schools in these States are now Middle Vernacular Schools and English is taught only in the High school classes. This has removed an invidious distinction between the boys of rural and urban areas. But indirectly it has resulted in a discrimination against the boys from these States in the matter of admission into the preparatory institutions for the defence services because the medium of examination for admission into these institutions continues to be English.
3. It is therefore suggested that the medium should be changed over to the regional languages and even if it may mean some extra expenditure in the printing of the question papers, such expenditure will be worthwhile in view of the opportunities that such an arrange- ment would open to a large section of boys in the country. So far as the achievement of a high standard in English is concerned. it should not be difficult to arrange for an intensive study of English particularly colloquial and functional English during the four or five years of training at the preparatory schools.
4. This matter had been raised earlier also in the Central Advisory Board and was taken up with the Defence Ministry, but the Defence Ministry probably misunderstood the proposal to mean the removal of English from the courses of studies at these institutions. As this memorandum shows. there is no such intention.
Attention in this connection is invited to item IX of the Proceedings of the 19th meeting of the Board and the relevant memorandum. As desired by the Board, the matter was taken up afresh with the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Transport who are concerned with the Dufferin Training Ship. Both Ministries were of the view that it would not be possible to change the language of the examination until the entire system of education is changed completely and Hindi acquires the place at present occupied by English. The Ministry of Transport have also pointed out that the Dufferin Training Ship now takes, post-matric boys between the ages of 15 to 17 years for a two-year course.
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