The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has begun the process of identifying 1,000 primary schools where English medium will be introduced from 2019-20 academic year.
Sources in the department said officials have been instructed to identify four schools in each of the 224 Assembly constituencies to teach English from class one. This will also include many Karnataka Public Schools, which have classes from pre-primary to class 12.
They will have both Kannada and English-medium sections, and parents can decide which section the child should attend. The department will scrutinise the list of schools submitted by Block Education Officers for infrastructure, facilities, and student strength.
The move comes after several elected representatives submitted letters to the department requesting introducing English-medium schools in their constituencies. “To avoid favouritism, we thought this would be the best way to pick schools,” said a department official.
P.C. Jaffer, Commissioner for Public Instruction, said the Regional Institute of English (RIE), South India, was preparing the study module for class 1 students for the coming academic year.
A second round of workshops, with a focus on preparation of study material, was conducted on Friday. The meeting was attended by education experts, English teachers and representatives of the Azim Premji Foundation, said S. Jayakumar, Director of RIE South India. He said they have been asked to prepare study material for English, environmental science and mathematics.
Although the move to introduce English medium in schools had received criticism from Kannada writers and activists, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has stood by the budget promise. Several Dalit organisations, Karnataka State Government Primary School Teachers’ Association and parents had backed the move.
Kavitha S., a parent whose son studies in a government school, said, “We know our child is able to learn better in Kannada medium. But why should students in private schools study in English, while our children go to Kannada-medium schools. This move will help many with lower socio-economic status get access to English-medium education,” she said.