English is a passport to a global world. It is a thought that prompts policy makers to shift to English as a medium of instruction to open opportunities for its students to join a global academic and business community; a world that is now increasingly mobile.
So Uzbekistan has made it official that English be taught, spoken, used for business communication at all levels and institutions since 2012 whereas in a country such as Azerbaijan it is perceived as a means of enhancing employment chances, and in Saudi Arabia it is seen as a basic skill and a prestige to possess the ability of knowing English.
But at the same time there are also countries that reject English as a medium of instruction for their own reasons be it cultural preservation or preservation of local languages, or due to pressure to protect local language as may be perceived in neighbouring Bangladesh, a far off Argentina or Italy.
There are countries that while providing opportunities for English as a medium of instruction also ensure that the children have opportunities for education through their local language.
This is in keeping with Article 29 (c) of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child for right to education in their respective home languages to enable development of respect for the child’s parents, cultural identity, language and values.
On the other hand, we have a country like Turkey that went ahead with English as the medium of instruction and when the results of students in Mathematics and Science began declining, reversed back to home language. Such examples abound.
Surely, without any doubt, the medium of instruction for a school going child is a matter of great import. We have succumbed to the world-wide phenomenon of a shift in non-English speaking countries from English being taught as a foreign language or a second language to English being made the medium of instruction.
Some choose to have English as the medium of instruction only for Maths and Science as with neighbouring Pakistan, whilst some others expand the scope to include Geography, History etc. Whilst we are familiar with English as a medium of instruction in higher education, with J&K shifting 99% to English as the medium of instruction at the school level, we stand at the crossroads of testing times.
No doubt, with one stroke of the magic wand, the gap between private and government schools has been covered, as has the gap between school and higher education. But where is the magic?
Let me make it clear at the outset that I am not against the language per se. However, as an educationist, this introduction happening as a single point shift rather than a gradual one presents interesting if not daunting situations.
Luckily, there is a National Curriculum Framework which has a policy on English in schools and there is also a position paper available on English in schools unlike many non-English speaking countries around the world. The NEP 2020 has provided new insights and guidance as well.
Owing to the peculiar nature of J&K, it also has the peculiar features of three different regions; each with its own language, culture and geography. English as a medium of instruction facilitates teaching a multi-cultural crowd.
Yet, the report suggested that the use of English as a medium of instruction be seriously relooked. The bottom line for any learning to take place is proficiency in language especially the language that is the medium of instruction.
Obviously, a minimum level of language is necessary for contextual understanding as well as communication. If the medium of instruction is a language that is not the native tongue especially at the start of schooling through the Primary years, the context will always remain a mystery and all attempts for an enjoyable, meaningful and enriching experience would be fraught with strenuous effort both for the teacher as well as the taught.
The report also talks about the lack of clarity in the decision to make English the medium of instruction in all Government schools in J&K.
As an educationist, I am very curious to know of any research and academic analysis, discussion platforms, and papers or evidences that can be looked at as inputs contributing to this critical decision.
Even in private schools where English is the language of instruction and teachers may be blessed with a good level of English to teach effortlessly in English, it has been a visible problem that teachers only teach the text and to the test. What might be the agony of teachers in Government schools that are forced to teach in English when they themselves have a low level of English?
Do we have a language test in place to verify and certify the level of English of our teachers? Do we have a mechanism in place to help them to move up in levels post the verification? Or are we content with just having changed the medium of instruction with teachers using the home language to teach concepts as that is what children and teachers are comfortable with even while officially the medium of instruction is English.
Good role models are important in a child’s growing years and in particular good role model teachers are critical. How many of us still recall with fondness that Sheikh Sahab or that Sharma Sahab that was a passionate teacher who could with their very words open up a new world of knowledge to us?
Communication matters. And how a teacher communicates is crucial for any engaging learning for life. The teacher of today is crippled with a language proficiency problem and faced with first or second generation learners who are also crippled by a language proficiency problem.
Depressing thought this, that we now have a situation where teachers who might otherwise be brilliant as teachers while using local language, in which they are totally at ease, struggling to communicate concepts and ideas only because of the official mandate to teach in English.
They also now have the additional burden of content teachers doubling up as language teachers by default, as they are not only facilitating learning of the different subjects but also enhancing the English language proficiency of themselves as well as students as it is generally believed that language abilities of children are enhanced through the study of different subjects through the medium of instruction.
A very tall order this, for our teachers. My primary question is what sort of teachers are we looking for now, to teach the different academic subjects and what is the professional standard that the teacher in an English medium school must achieve? Or are we going to abandon them to improving their language levels by themselves without any interventions to enhance their abilities?
The report also highlights that the use of English as a medium of instruction is giving rise to confusion and difficulty at different levels. We are very familiar with these scenarios where child can read and write and reproduce large amounts of information through rote learning of material from text books and reproduced in tests and examinations to pass or fail. What about comprehension of concepts or building of concepts through different grades?
Time for reflection and to ask some serious questions !!!
Dr. Farooq Ahmad Wasil, a published author, and an educationist, is Director Thinksite Services Private Limited. He has over 3 decades of experience in the field of education Management – setting up, operating and managing schools.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.