No plans to change medium of schools; only language of Math, Science books changing: Assam govt

Replying to a Zero Hour discussion by Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha in the Assembly, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said the government has no plans to transform vernacular medium schools into English medium ones.

The Assam government has decided to change the language of teaching subjects such as Mathematics and Science. Post the announcement to make English as the medium of teaching for Science and Mathematics from Class 3 onwards in vernacular schools, the decision received a major backlash. Clarifying the confusion, the government said only the language of the books will be changed and not the medium of the institutes.

No plans to transform vernacular medium to English medium schools

Replying to a Zero Hour discussion by Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha in the Assembly, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said the government has no plans to transform vernacular medium schools into English medium ones.

"We are only changing the language of Mathematics and Science books from Class 3 onwards. The language of the books does not define the medium of a school, please don't misunderstand it. Even the National Education Policy stressed this," he said.

Mother tongue to remain the medium of teaching

The minister said that the mode of conversation between a teacher and student is "actually the medium" of a school and it will always remain the mother tongue in government-run institutes. He also informed the House that the government is adopting a policy to appoint a teacher in a particular medium school only if the person knows that particular language.

"This means that only an Assamese language-knowing person will be appointed in an Assamese medium school. For a Bodo medium school, only those teachers will be appointed who know Bodo well. This will help in proper discussion in a classroom," Pegu said.

Students should be expert in multilingual mode

Besides, he said, the NEP stresses the need for a multilingual mode of teaching and suggests that students should be experts in Mathematics and Science in English language. The Assam Cabinet on July 28 had decided that from the academic year 2023, Mathematics and Science will be taught in English from Class 3 onwards in all government and provincialised Assamese and other vernacular medium schools.

It had also approved the introduction of a dual medium of instruction from Classes 6 to 12 in Assamese and vernacular medium schools under the state government. These led to a huge controversy with all opposition political parties, major student organisations, including the ABVP, apex literary bodies and many social groups protesting against the Cabinet decisions, particularly English as the medium of instruction.

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