Bengaluru: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy announced on Friday that the government intended to increase the number of English medium classes in its schools from the next academic year seeing the positive response the initiative had received from parents across the state.
Mr Kumaraswamy recalled that both he and Deputy Chief Minister, Dr G Parameshwar were branded anti-Kannada by a number of pro-Kannada activists, intellectuals and others for backing English in government schools, but they went ahead as their goal was to equip children to meet the demands of the world today.
“Limited English medium classes with an intake of 30 each were started in government schools. And seeing parents make a beeline to admit their children to them, the government has decided to open more such classes from the next academic year,” he said. Mr Kumaraswamy, who was speaking at a function to launch a 100 public schools and a 1,000 English medium classes in government schools here, insisted that improving the quality of education through English medium classes in government schools would go a long way in fulfilling the aspirations of the children, who came to them. He, however, assured that the government would not neglect Kannada medium schools either.
Dr G Parameshwar, in his addresss, appealed to the people not to paint the coalition government anti-Kannada just because it had started English medium classes in its schools. “We have done this to protect the mother tongue and to make children fluent in English as this will help them cope with the demands of the world outside,” he said, adding that he had studied in a Kannada medium school but got his doctorate from Australia. The DyCM revealed that the government had set aside Rs 1,200 cr for modernisation of government schools in the state.
