and will it apply to current students, say the ones who are in class 5 or 6 today. Or will it start with class 1 students next academic year, and kannada language will be taught all the way till class X?

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I wonder why additional subjects in the form of languages need to be rammed down the throats of already stressed students when there are more pressing needs in making improvements in the education system. Let the students interested in languages choose them as electives, let the parents&children choose the medium of education that way whoever feels Kannada is best for them can go to a Kannada medium school. Whoever wants to go to an English medium school can go to one and if one wants to learn Kannada can take it up as an elective subject. The end goal of the education system should be the all round development of a student with a wide variety of skills which are common to everybody irrespective of the language they are taught it.

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Blrpraj,

This is a political issue as votes hinge on this.  Children's education is the last priority in this issue.  One would think parents can take care of our children's interests, but children here have become a tool of the state and its politics.

You can see the reactions to the HC ruling - "Kannada will suffer" - not "Children's education will suffer" to see what the overriding priorities are.

Tough decision - we really as parents really don't have much choice in terms of what is taught in a school.  We like to think we have a lot of choice, but how much influence do we really have on the syllabus, etc. 

Srivathsa

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"Students from Kannada medium are at a disadvantage in the career race as their fluency in English is not too good. Students who have scored 90 per cent in Kannada medium are not getting jobs, while English medium students even with 65 per cent are sure of jobs." says Puttanna.

For the full text, click on
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IE12008081045334&Page=1&Title=Bangalore&Topic=0&

Muralidhar Rao

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A SC Bench observed: "Parents should be allowed to take a decision as to which medium of instruction suits their child. They are in the best position to judge the interest of the child". For more, click on:
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQkcvMjAwOC8wOC8zMCNBcjAwMTA1&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

Muralidhar Rao

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Mr. Murali772 quotes a useful snippet in his first comment above - saying fluency in the English language is what jobs today need. Mind you, it doesnt mean that your vocational education should have happened in the same medium. All it demands is fluency in that tongue. 65% grade vocationally is even okay. Period.

So while not dealing with technical capabilities - which we dont want to compromise with, BTW - this snippet does point only to a need to have good English language education and NOT good education in English! Subtle difference, yet very important to realise. Something many parents here also may have to think about.

Dont want to give a rather out-of-reach example here, but this observation does add value - one can see that all the famous poets, linguists, scientists of Karnataka have been equally eloquent in both Kannada and English - the former being their foundation. So while learning in Kannada is undisputed, the potential (of even english medium schools) to teach good English is questionable, and in need of refinement.

That apart, the question somewhere in Swamy's post is whether we in Praja want to welcome this move for what is there in it for Kannadigas. And I dont think remaining portions of your snippets are inclined towards replying to that. At Praja, I think we want to see what's the potentially best future for us, and not what we can somehow make and ensure our existence.

What we're today, is not what we want to remain tomorrow - be it getting jobs only because we can fluently speak an alien tongue - and I guess that ideology is close to what Praja would like to play host to.

-Nijavaada

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Language politics is one of the easiest ways to gain publicity, get the masses to notice you, etc. etc. etc.

Just leave the choice of language to Children/Parents. Those who want to be educated in a particular language for whatever reason, can do so - why don't we just leave it to the discretion of the parents and guardians? Demand and Supply will take care of the ratio of Kannada medium to English medium schools. Never underestimate the power of Demand and Supply.

And what the.. how is one supposed to work in a transferrable job (central government bureaucracy, Army, Customs, banks, etc.), with transfers every three years. Is the kid supposed to learn one new language every three years, for each state that he goes to?

As long as we have politicians or wannabe politicians the language card will constantly be played by them..

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...but I think this is important. sorry to cross post on all the culture threads but this merits discussion and is of the utmost importance probably compared to other topics at least till a protest is lodged -

http://praja.in/bangalore/discuss/2008/09/karnataka-going-nutshomegrown-version-taliban

I would recommend every individual reading this to take pains of drafting a letter to our prime minister demanding an explanation and action. This is a national shame. We did not do anything about the Shiv Sena mess, but now this is happening in our own backyard.

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it's amazing how people think twice of learning Kannada. Karnataka was formed keepin in mind interests of Kannada foremost. hence Kannada in Karnataka should not surprise anyone, it's like French in France and German in Germany. Everyone has their language and laws to protect their language. in a group of 100 people if only 10 dont speak the language of the land then one cannot make a law that hampers that other 90 that's utterly ridiculous. While learning English is all right learning Kannada in Karnataka is a must. one cannot go on thinking of few people in transferable jobs and ignore the majority. that has been the bane in India the minority concerns are more importnat than majority.

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