1. ‘Mother tongue’ desired as a
compulsory medium of instruction is
the growing preference for English
medium instruction in school education
across India.
It is unfortunate in our country that
the question of the medium of
instruction is the problem to be debated
even after seventy years of
independence.
2. 21st February is celebrated as
‘Mother tongue day’ around the
world.
3. Complex and multi-faceted: The
subject of compulsory medium of
instruction in the ‘mother tongue’ of
a child during primary education is
a matter of great complexity
4. Constitution doesn’t like a compulsory medium of instruction: To
begin with the Constitution of India doesn’t tolerate this concept of a
compulsory medium of instruction. In April 1994, the Karnataka
Government had come out with its language policy. It said that in primary
education, the ‘mother tongue’ or ‘Kannada’ shall be the compulsory
medium of instruction. This was challenged by English medium of
schools in the courts. The Karnataka High court struck down this
language policy with respect to private unaided schools on the ground
that it would violate their Constitutional rights. The Government then
appealed to the Supreme Court. In fact, it represented several thousand of
these English medium schools in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court
dismissed the Government’s appeal in May 2014 by holding that no
Government could compulsorily impose any particular language or
‘mother tongue’ as a compulsory medium of instruction. So after a court
battle of two decades, the Karnataka Government had to firmly realize
that it has no more room to impose ‘mother tongue’ as a compulsory
medium of instruction. Let’s briefly see why the ‘mother tongue’ concept
is not quite practicable in our educational system.
5. English medium is the most preferred: So if the
goal is to educate every child in his own ‘mother
tongue’ that goal would be readily frustrated. By the
way, English is today, the second most preferred
‘medium of instruction’ in primary education of
India. So, how does English which is not even
considered as the mother tongue of even 1 out of
1000 citizens of India emerge as the most preferred
medium of instruction in India. The answer is self-
evident. Parents want English medium for their
children. Period from a practical perspective, how
then can the Constitution that is the will of the
people and any state Government act against the
choice of an overwhelming majority of the parents
in this country? They cannot.
6. Let’s look at some data: According to
data published under the authority of the
Government of India, English has
emerged as the second most preferred
medium of instruction in primary
education when considered nationally.
English medium instruction in primary
education is therefore, the current
national trend and is by no means, an
evil that should be legislated away.
7. Conclusion:-
English or a non-mother tongue language as
the medium of instruction are still mixed, and
somewhat confusing. But parents see only
the advantage in career options that may be
available to their children if they get
educated through the medium of English
right from the beginning level of school
education. The fight against the mother
tongue medium of instruction is bound to be
more intense over the years.
