LANGUAGES
 

Prof. S. Guha Ray, Population Studies Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203 Barrackpore Trunk Road, Calcutta

- Education should be imparted through mother tongue, at least at the primary stage.

Shri S.P. Patil, Headmaster, Z.P. Primary School, Pune (30.9.90)

- Elementary education should be imparted through mother tongue. If mother tongue is different from the state language, then state language should be made medium of education after a particular level.

Shri Sita Ram Singh, Lecturer, H.N.K. +2 School, Arrah, Bhojpur, (Bihar).

- Education should be imparted through our national language so that we can establish our national identity.

Shri Ram Krishan Shastri, Lecturer, Shri Hari Ramram Gopal Sanatan Dharam Sanskrit College, 216 Uncha Mandi, Allahabad.

- Sanskrit has been ignored in NPE. Due place should be given to it.

Dr. Krishna Lal, Professor and Head, Department of Sanskrit University of Delhi (20.09.1990)

- Medium of education should be mother tongue/languages mentioned in the VIII Schedule of the Constitution. In primary education facilities should be given to learn any three of the languages mentioned in the VIII Schedule of the Constitution. English can be learnt after this stage as a subject.

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Shri Hari Balu Kausal, General Secretary, Hindi Vyawahar Sangathan, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi (27.09.1990)

- Upto higher secondary level, education should be imparted through Indian languages.

Shri T.B. Gobinda Rao, General Secretary, Bharatiya Shikshana Mandala, Karnataka, 21, 6th Cross Road, Chamarajpet, Bangalore (9.10.1990)

- Regional languages should become the mediam of instruction at least upto the secondary level.

Shri B.K. Srivastava, Retd. Professor, IIT Kharagpur, 27-A, Church Lane, Allahabad (11th October, 1990)

- The timing of the introduction of the languages should be as follows: Mother tongue at the very commencement of education; regional language (in the Hindi speaking States) and Hindi (in the non-Hindi speaking States) in the fifth standard, and English in the 9th standard. A common simplified script would go a long way in easing the burden of learning Hindi and regional languages and would promote national and emotional integration.

Dr. B. Bhattacharyya, Chairman Bihar State Board of Homoeopathic Medicine Patna, (11.10.1990)

- In secondary and Higher education the language of instruction should be that in which enough text books are available.

Shri M.R.N. Gaonekar, Headmaster, Smt. Hirabai Talaulikar High School, Sancordem-Goa.

- The Primary and Secondary education should be in the mother-tongue.

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- All Indian languages should be construed as equal and all the facilities should be given to all languages whether they are in the eighth schedule or not. In each State there should be an institution to teach at least two languages of the neighbour States.

Shri G.S. Sharma, President, Karnataka Unaided Schools' Management Association, 9 Vanivilas Road, V.V. Puram, Bangalore (15.10.1990)

- It is better to leave the medium of instruction to the choice of the parents. We can also think of an alternative. The idea is to have bilingual education. Science and mathematics be taught in English and the remaining subjects viz. Social Studies, Moral Science, Health and Hygiene etc. be taught in the regional languages. A similar system is already obtaining in Central Schools (CBSE).

Shri Achyutananda Raut, Bajapur, P.O. Madhupur, Distt. Cuttack, Pin 754204, Orissa

- The three language formula should be effectively implemented to help national integration.

Dr. B.D. Swami, 62/4, Shivpuri, Meerut City-250001 (26th October, 1990)

- The medium of instruction should be mother-tongue or regional language. Sanskrit should also be taught in schools.

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Shri Harminder Singh Dhanoa, Lecturer, Govt. College of Education, Patiala AND Dr. Sunil Dutt, Lecturer, Sohan Lal DAV College of Education, Ambala City.

- Mother-tongue should be made the medium of Instruction at least in the initial stage. In later stages the three- language formula should be implemented.

Prof. V.N. Wanchoo, Director, Centre for Educational Development, A- 55, Ashok Vihar-II, Delhi-110053 (22nd October, 1990)

- It is well known that mother tongue facilitates learning at early stage of growth. But there is no evidence to show that a language other than mother tongue, if taught properly, hampers learning. Children who want to study English may be provided facilities for the same.

Prof. Jacob Aikara, Professor and Head, Unit for Research in the sociology of Education, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Deonar, Post Box No. 8313, Bombay 400088. (6th October, 1990)

- The Paper is silent about how the proposed interaction among the regional languages can be brought about. It also does not offer any alternative to the three language formula. What is really needed to help the masses today is to have a language policy in education that makes the children of the masses equally proficient in English as well as in their regional languages.

Director Pre-University Education and Ex-Officio Secretary to the Board of Pre-University Education, Government of Karnataka, Palace Road,, Bangalore-560001 (16th October, 1990)

- The Paper does not make any reference to the position of English in the scheme of education in this country. English being a language of communication in India and world at large, it should be taught

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at all levels. This can be made optional as we know that only those who go for higher Education need English as a library language. It is ideal to make available a basic minimum knowledge of this language to every one upto the secondary level.

Dr. R. Bandyopadhyay, Director, Centre for Applied Systems Analysis in Development, D-5/8, Salunke Vihar, Pune-411022 (19.10.90)

- Proposed to have mother tongue as medium of instruction is a very good idea. The problem of minority students having mother tongues different from that of the majority group (basic problem in urban/metropolitan areas) should also be addressed. While giving due attention to make "mother tongue" the medium of instruction, compulsory teaching of English must be introduced in all schools at a reasonably early stage, because learning a new language becomes easier if it is learnt in childhood. Further, quality of English teaching in all schools, but specifically in rural and semi- urban schools should be improved.

Prof. Hira Adyanthaya, Dean, Tilak Maharashtra Vidya-peeth, Vidyapeeth Bhavan, Gultekadi, Pune 411037 (16.10.90)

- One's mother-tongue must be recognised not as the natural medium of instruction only but as a basic form of all learning.

Shri K. Narahari, President, Karnataka State Secondary Teachers' Association, 1357, 7th Main Road, Sriramapura, Bangalore-560021 (4.10.1990)

- Urdu medium classes should be run in the same school alongwith other media classes. This will help in the intermingling of students from different backgrounds, thus promoting national integration.

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Shri R.S. Bharadwaj, General Secretary, Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, K- 30, Green Park Main, New Delhi-110016 (9.10.90)

- The medium of instruction should be mother-tongue at the elementary stage and mother-tongue or regional language at the higher levels. English can be studied as an optional language. Sanskrit should be made compulsory.

Shri P.D. Sachdeva, General Secretary, Government School Teachers' Association, Delhi, Govt. Co-ed Sr. Sec. School, Kitchner Road, New Delhi (20th October, 1990)

- The Committee's views on the use of mother-tongue as medium of instruction and also dynamic inter-action among regional languages are right. Mother-tongue as medium of instruction help learning and facilitates self-expression. Inter-action will help promote horizontal mobility and social identity.

Dr. Usha Nayar, HOD, Department of Women's Studies, NCERT, New Delhi (23.10.90)

- Unless we have higher education i.e. tertiary education, in regional languages, the development of regional languages will remain a distant dream. The concept of first developing the regional languages and then switching over the medium of instruction in tertiary education is putting the cart before the horse.

- In the past 43 years we have not been able to provide basic literacy skills even in one language. The concept of three language formula is impracticable and its trial requires a level of development where mobility etc. are at premium and people can afford such a luxury.

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Shri S.S. Salgonkar, Jt. D.E. (School Education), Directorate of Education, M.S., Pune (10th October, 1990)

- The experience of Maharashtra in the matter of teaching through mother tongue, in the case of tribal people, has been that the tribal people resisted the use of tribal dialect for children at the primary level. They considered it as an instrument to widen the gap between the tribal and the non- tribal.

Shri B.R. Mutagi, Headmaster, D.Y. Chaugule Bharatesh High School, Belgaum and Chairman, The Belgaum District Headmasters Association, Belgaum (October, 1990)

- The language policy of the government should be so framed as to facilitate the migration of a student from one State to another State of his choice.

- The preference for English medium schools is not because of love for English language but on consideration of quality of education. Therefore, the quality of education in schools with mother tongue/regional language as medium of instruction should be raised.

Shri B.L. Seth, President, Rajasthan Shikshak Sangh, 45, Ganesh Nagar, University Road, Udaipur (22.10.1990)

- The medium of instruction should be mother tongue/regional language. English should be taught as an optional subject at the college level. Facilities should be provided for the learning of all important world languages.

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Dr. G. Subramonia Pillai, Prof. & Head, Department of Education, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai (27.10.1990)

- There should not be any imposition of any language. The choice should be left to the students and parents.

Prof. Suraj Bhan Singh, Chairman, Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology, West Block VII, R.K. Puram, New Delhi 110022 (29th October, 1990)

- In regard to switchover of media of instruction from English to Indian language, a tine bound and phased programme is necessary. The Paper has also not indicated any directions in regard to development of Indian languages. The proposal to teach Indian Literature in regional languages with a view to promoting national integration is a welcome suggestion.

Shri D.J.K. Cornelius, A-916, Poonamalle High Road, Madras (24th October, 1990)

- While the mother tongue/regional language may be the first language in schools in general, the second language should be English. English medium schools should also be allowed to grow. The second language in these schools may be one from a choice of three regional languages.

Dr. B.P. Barua, Director, Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation, Block: DD-34, Sector-I, Salt Lake, Calcutta (16.10.1990)

- While the medium of instruction should generally be mother tongue or regional language at school level, there should be two media at college and university level to enable some advanced students to learn through the medium of English which is a rich international language. There should be provision for learning both Hindi and English at the school stage in addition to mother tongue or

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regional language. This will facilitate the goals of national integration and inter-state mobility of students and teachers.

Shri T.B Govinda Rao, Project Officer, Rashtrotthana Parishat Non- Formal Education Project, Kempegowda Nagar, Bangalore-560019 (Dated 10.10.90)

- Regional language alone should be the medium of instruction at primary level, so as to enable the majority to understand the subjects easily. Those who aspire to take up higher technical courses any take the language of their choice so as to get a thorough knowledge of that subject available in that language.

Dr. S. Unnikrishna Pillai, Principal, Regionl Engineering College, Calicut, Kerala-673601 (18.10.90)

- The freedom of choice of the medium of instruction is to be left to the individual. In a free country like ours, imposing mother tongue or any language is against the democratic spirit of the country. Further, imposition of mother tongue can be regarded as a means of imposition of Hindi on the non-Hindi speaking population.

- Even countries like Japan, China and Soviet Union have realised the benefits that could accrue out of knowledge of English language and systematically encourage its learning. It will be suicidel for India to give up the existing advantage we have in this respect. For many in india, English is no more alien than some of the other Indian languages. English can no longer be considered as a foreign language in India.

Sh. Poromesh Acharya, Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta Joka, Diamond Harbour Road, Calcutta-700027 (12.10.90)

- One way of dissuading people from going for expensive English schooling may be the withdrawal of all kinds of State subsidy for

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the higher education of those who had their schooling in fee paying schools. State should bear the cost of higher education of only those who would come from free vernacular schools. The cost of education at IIT, IIM, Engineering and Medical Colleges is so high that majority of parents will think twice before sending their children to expensive English schools if subsidy is withdrawn.

Shri K.S. Acharlu, Gandhi Vigyan, 80, Temple Road, I Main, Malleswaram, Bangalore-560 003 (8.10.90)

- The foremost priority should have been long ago given to the mother tongue/regional language medium of instruction in rural education.

Prof. B.S. Sonde, Prof. S.V. Subramanyam and others, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (18.10.90)

- Mother tongue/regional language should be chosen as the medium for school education. Even at tertiary level, the language should not become a deterrant to understanding.

Shri Rajesh Kumar Jain, 330 Income Tax Colony, Uttari Pitam Pura, Delhi (23rd October, 1990)

- Instead of 'three-language formula' there should be a two language formula. Hindi and regional language should be taught in schools.

Shri K.L. Joshi, Ex-VC, Indore University, `KAIVALAYA' Suresh Society, Gulmohar Road, Erandavana, Poona (7.10.1990)

- In the age group 5-12 when brain cells are flexible, It is easier to learn three or four languages. We have to sustain integrity of the nation and have to teach at least four languages at the school stage. These could be Hindi, English, regional language and Sanskrit.

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