Kannada-English should go hand in hand
Many thinkers, writers and literatures have taken to streets protesting against the government decision to open English medium schools. It is rather significant to note that this protest is supported and endorsed by former 'bandaya’ (rebel) writers and noted writer SL Bhyrappa. Their apprehension is that if government starts English medium schools. Kannada would be lost forever. But it is rather appropriate to ask this question about the schools where their kids and grandkids are getting their education.
The answer to this question would be rather very disappointing. No one is doubting their love for Kannada. And their protests may not save any Kannada schools, is a hard fact.
Kannada medium in today's Karnataka is like a worn off dress used and discarded by upper caste and affluent people. For a simple reason that they are studying in Government schools people are forced to wear the same tattered dress. We also need to note that Kannada schools are closing down one by one in the recent times. Sub quality of education is not the only contributing factor to this.
The middle class and the lower middle class people, having realised the value of English based education, are refusing to send their children to Kannada medium schools.
Only those families that can ill afford to send their children to private schools are sending their wards to government schools. These children are ideal Guinea pigs for lab experiments for our writers.
None of them even spared a thought to see why over 3000 Kannada schools closed down in the past in the state, what could be the reasons for this, why the number of students is dwindling in these schools, why parents are not admitting their children here and how that can be rectified through dialogue with the government.
What happens with government schools close down? People from lower economic background and backward castes lose the lone opportunity to access education forever. Government English medium schools present these kids with two opportunities. They not only get education free of cost, along with that they also get the knowledge of English that will help them access better opportunities in life. They can then stand on par with kids who study in private schools.
This is what worries people like Bhyrappa who come from privileged brahminical background when they oppose thoughts such as this. How would it make any difference whether government schools teach in English or Kannada medium when the existence of these very schools is in a quandary?
We need to support these English medium schools at least on experimental basis. We need not take words of these lofty idealistic people who are not concerned about the future of lakhs of children. We need to work on saving government schools. If government schools can survive and work by teaching English, we must support that shift. Along with this, we also need to find a way to save Kannada for future. Today's situation is that we need to incorporate the enticement towards English to save Kannada.
In the past, writer Anantha Murthy had said in his speech of a Kannada conference chair that today we need to find ways to ensure Kannada and English co exist for better future. Today, in other English schools, Kannada is being ignored totally, hence the new generation stands very far from Kannada.
If this continues, a generation of Kannada speaking people may come to an end in the next two decades. Private schools thrive on the fear of parents who feel English is inevitable for a better future of their children. We need to use the same strategy to push English into government schools and save them.
Along with Kannada, we also need to teach English from primary classes to kids. This way, Kannada inevitably has to ride the shoulder of English. We cannot operate anywhere in banks or Courts, government offices or new businesses such as IT and BT without English. Having made English this inevitable, to say that the poor needn't learn English would be the selfishness of a particular privileged category.
If these writers and thinkers feel English should not enter the education scenario in government schools, let them take up the fight for nationalisation of education itself. If not, the gap between the quality of education for the rich and poor will widen with every passing day. It will push the lower caste into darkness and lift the rich to better life. Hence if English is indeed inevitable, it is better to implement it thoughtfully than to live in denial about it.
Let Kannada March ahead using English as its vehicle. A student, who is educated in a govt school to communicate in both languages, can compete very confidently with convent educated students. He or she would be a lot more creative and rational in his approach. The government should never hesitate from its decision to implement English. At the same time, the government should ensure Kannada is also given equal emphasis in the meantime.
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Speaker rules out discussion on Guv''s conduct amid K''taka Assembly standoff
Bengaluru (PTI): In an effort to end the logjam over the Governor's address that has stalled proceedings for the past week, Karnataka Assembly Speaker U T Khader on Wednesday ruled that legislators should not discuss Thaawarchand Gehlot or his conduct in the house, saying such debates send the wrong message to the public.
The House has witnessed repeated disruptions and adjournments since the session began on January 22 over the issue of the governor's conduct.
During his address to the joint sitting of the Karnataka legislature on January 22, Gehlot read out only three sentences from the 122-paragraph speech prepared by the state government.
The speech included criticism of the Centre for replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajivika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), portions of which the governor declined to read.
Concluding his address in about two minutes, the governor left the house, triggering a commotion as Congress legislators attempted to gherao him and raised slogans.
While the opposition BJP accused the ruling Congress and its ministers of "insulting" the governor and demanded action, the treasury benches countered by claiming the governor had "insulted the National Anthem by leaving before it was played."
The house again witnessed heated arguments on the issue earlier in the day, leading to adjournment.
During the interruption, Khader held a meeting with ministers and opposition members to resolve the impasse.
When proceedings resumed, the speaker delivered his ruling.
Referring to the events of January 22 and the subsequent debate, Khader said the conduct and discussions had conveyed the wrong message to the public.
"Our conduct as members of this House and the opinions expressed must be in good taste and in accordance with constitutional provisions. They must uphold the dignity of the House and its members. We must introspect in this direction," he said.
He stressed the need for caution to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future.
"Let us end this matter here, continue the discussion on the motion of thanks to the governor, and refrain from discussing the governor or his conduct in this house," the speaker said.
Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka said the house should express regret over what he termed an "insult" to the governor.
Responding, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the situation would not have arisen had the governor read out the entire address.
"Asking the house to express regret is not appropriate. Why did the governor leave even before the National Anthem was played," Siddaramaiah asked.
BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar reminded Siddaramaiah that as Leader of the Opposition in 2011, he had asked then Governor Hansraj Bhardwaj to curtail his address.
Bhardwaj had subsequently placed the address on the table of the house, requesting members to treat it as read.
Siddaramaiah said the situation in January 2011 was different from the present one.
The debate grew intense, leading to another adjournment of the house.
