It was year 1996, month of October
and I was on duty as Invigilator to students of class 9th writing
their paper of Mathematics. While on round giving the supplementary sheets to
the students, verifying enteries on the answer sheets and maintaining record of
the number of sheets provided to each student, it was almost one hour through
three hour paper. I was totally in-charge of my work and proud of my strict
invigilation. I was observing students on work very keenly ..standing at the
front of the class, facing students. A boy on the third desk of fourth row was
looking quite upset and nervous at the same time..fidgeting though his paper
and answer sheet...reading the question paper again and again and getting
frustrated at not being able to talk to any body as I was straight looking into
everyone’s face. After a self fight of about 10 minutes, the boy gathered the
courage and called me, “Mam?” I paced quickly to the boy with a questioning YES
in my eyes. As I reached the boy, he asked me pointing to his paper on the desk,
“Can you please tell me the meaning of these questions in Hindi?”
I said a strict “No” and started
taking rounds. Meanwhile, I was disturbed inside as I was not sure whether I
had done the right thing or not. Within a few seconds, I looked out of the room
and called for the reliever. The moment the reliever was in the room I headed straight
towards the Principal’s Office. I almost barged in to his room and narrated the
incident and asked for direction in such
cases whether we as invigilators were supposed to tell the meaning of any word
or sentence in Hindi to the students when asked. Since I was new to the
profession and very new to the school, I had not encountered such incident
before and was totally unaware of the schools’ guiding policy. The Gentleman
Principal, Mr. D. P. Pushkarna very pleasantly told me to tell the meaning to
the boy in Hindi and see him after my duty was over. I came back to my class
and resumed my duty, went to the boy and told him the meaning of few questions
in Hindi. To my utter surprise next almost two hours that boy was confidently
busy attempting and solving questions.
After my duty was over, I went to see
Mr. Pushkarna and he spared 10 minutes for me. In conversation over the next
few minutes, when I was trying to talk ethicality of the issue to tell or not
to tell, what he spoke still resonates in my mind. He said, “See Ms. Arora, it
is unfortunate that we are forced to study in a language which is not our
mother tongue. The boy who you are talking about is very good in Mathematics
and Science concepts but lacks in understanding of English hence can not
attempt questions. When we are checking the Mathematical ability, let us check
that only. When it comes to check command over English, we will do that through
English paper. That is why I told you to tell him the meaning of questions in
Hindi.”
Why I am sharing this incident with
you? Because I myself during my journey from a Primary Teacher to The Founder
principal of a school many times have felt that our children can do much better
only if we could promote thinking in their language which can be mother tongue,
regional or local language or Hindi whatever the child may be comfortable in.
Learning English as a Subject is
alright but using English as a language needs years of conscious efforts. Why?
Because a language is learnt by hearing
and speaking. How many of our children are exposed to listening to English
at home, at neighbourhood, at markets or at playgrounds?
Introducing the concepts of Science,
Math or Social Science in an alien language robs the fun of learning from
our children. The very learning process
that could have triggered my thinking
capabilities puts me off as a child. Even if I imbibe the concept, I struggle
to express in my own words, with my own flavour because the stipulation to
write in English does not allow me. I am left with no choice as a child other
than to cram, if I can, and write it. Gradually I start losing interest in new
concepts, I start disliking studies and consequently I am not able to reach to
my best in the system which evaluates me, judges me through English.
Such has become the hold of language
English in our psyche that anyone who is not able to articulate fluently in
English is considered inferior. Such is the craze of the language English that
parents are no longer interested in sending their children to Hindi medium
schools. Private schools in the name of being English Medium schools are the
first choice of all parents.
Nobody ever stops to give it a thought that we send our children to
school for just learning a language; English or to trigger their minds to think
creatively and critically. The purpose of school education was to help children to exploit their
potential but that could not happen for the majority of learners. One big
reason among other reasons was the medium of instruction which was English. The
very purpose of education had failed.
I am not against English as a language. I am against giving that status
to English in our scheme of Education that crumbles the foundation of learning. Knowing and
speaking English has become a status symbol. It has created a divide, an elite class knowing English and all others
just commoners. It is in this sense
that I call English as a language of discrimination.
The best way to start educating
children, to help them exercise their thinking capabilities is to start in
their own native language. English can be learnt as a subject. Over a period of
almost 10-12 years, when the child has a good hold on the language is the right
time to shift to English as a medium of instruction if we have to shift. But to
start in an alien language is like deliberately not letting me enjoy the fun of
learning while as a child it is my right to learn.
New Education Policy 2020, declared
on 29th July 2020 is a welcome initiative in this direction. Though
it says the medium of instruction wherever possible shall be mother tongue/home
language/local or regional language at least up to class 5th or 8th,
I believe if we really have to achieve the objective that our learners are
critical thinkers it must be made compulsory up to primary or Middle class
level and compulsory in all so called English Medium Private schools also.
No child in India must lag behind in learning because that child was
forced to learn in English.
P.S. The boy had scored 86 on 100
when the first hour was wasted figuring the meaning of questions.
Mr. Pushkarna himself was the Masters
in both languages, i.e. he was M.A. (English) and M.A. (Hindi). Above all he
was a seasoned Educationist who could see through the issues and had the
courage to do what was right to his common sense. I am indebted to him for my
take aways from him.
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