Medium of education

Lot has been written on Gujarati medium v/s English medium. On 21^st Feb. this year we came to know about “world mother tongue day”. As usual column writers have written articles according to their different beliefs, at some places some programs and rallies. What will be the result?. Sometimes I doubt any usefulness behind celebrating such days.

Very controversial issue, though majority on the side of English medium! It’s surprising! Question is if majority on the side of English medium, why it is still a controversial issue?

Why people choose Gujarati medium?..... they don’t want to give more burden of education and mostly because Gujarati medium students can score better than English medium students! I appreciate concern of no more load parents but “score” is just ridiculous reason.

Now why English? They have thousands reason for it. English is an international lang., English learning students are more intelligent, better scope of admission for higher education, better for higher studies, we can teach Gujarati at home too etc. etc.

I accept that text books of our Gujarat board are just boring and Gujarati schools are not up to the level of today’s shiny English school and backward in adopting new methods and research.Digitization is not enough. Instead improving standard of education, schools and textbooks we are running behind English without thinking much.

People selecting English medium argues where is good Gujarati school? Let me ask them if you are polluting this earth at this rate where will you find better place to live?

Anyways I’m writing this post just for people who think we can teach Gujarati at home and let children study in English medium. Kanti Bhatt has suggested this solution to me years ago. And Bhaven Kachchi has written article which sounds same.

I was a person always complaining my mother for not selecting English medium but when I had to take decision as mother I studied deep and finally choose Gujarati, thankfully Nikhil who studied in English and thoroughly believed it must be English convinced and still firm on this decision and supported fully.

What made me change my view towards English medium? I know importance of English and have complete respect as a lang. same as I love my mother tounge. But when you are living in Gujarat in whole Gujarati environment and not possible to make English a family lang. then it must be Gujarati medium.

What is the difference between study in guj. & learning english at home and study in eng. & learning gujarati at home? It makes difference in early education. Medium of early education effects lot many aspects. Apart from emotional and cultural issues more important is scientific aspect. It’s minor but very very important difference.

Here is a link which helped us lot when we were in this dilemma.

http://www.und.ac.za/und/ling/archive/bell-01.html

If you are really interested to know difference pl. go th. this paper. How it adversely effect “conginitive skills” which are more important in academic than just learning a language.