Students prefer English medium to Telugu

KAKINADA: Many students from government, zilla parishad and municipal schools are shifting from Telugu to English medium as the state government has focussed on the latter and is distributing bilingual textbooks free of cost to facilitate an easier learning process. It has been so effective that students from private schools are also joining ZP high schools. 

According to sources, some private schools, especially those in rural areas, are on the verge of closure. Meanwhile, some municipal high schools have stopped the enrollment drive due to poor infrastructure facilities and where development works are in progress. 

There are 4,403 government schools, including 685 high schools, 25 high school plus, 3,367 primary schools and 326 upper primary schools in East Godavari district where the total number of schools are 4,78,706.

District education officer S. Abraham told Deccan Chronicle that more than 40,000 new students were enrolled in government schools, out of which 98 per cent preferred English medium of instruction. He said that there was no scarcity of teachers as many have been appointed to teach both mediums and also the bilingual textbooks were coming in handy for them. He said that admissions would be increased as the schools can take admissions till this month-end.

However, some schools are unable to take new admissions.

“The student strength has increased to 1,490, including 250 new admissions. But, some rooms are being constructed and there is no space for more new students in our school’’ said J. Subba Lakshmi, headmistress of Kakinada Salipeta Municipal High School. She said that many students are opting for English medium. She said that previously nearly 250 to 500 students were in Telugu medium but now it has dwindled to 150.

Kakinada Gandhinagar Mahatma Gandhi Municipal High School headmaster A. Suryanarayana said that there is no possibility for new admissions as the strength of faculty is inadequate.

Meanwhile, though there was a scope for increasing the strength of students, parents are not willing to admit their students in P.R. Government School as the school has not been developed. Whenever it rains, the ground gets inundated. The school still managed to get 74 admissions in the present drive.

Many parents feel that English mediums can give a better future to their children.

“I had to stop my education after class V. I want to give education to my two children. Earlier I joined them in English medium in private schools. Now that government schools are having English medium, I admitted my daughter in a government school,’’ said  Yalla Rambabu, a daily-wage labourer from Pedapudi. He said that he had to pay a considerable amount to private schools, but he need not pay school fees hereafter.