Kannada language legislation a knee jerk reaction to SC judgment: Academician

The debate over introducing languages in CBSE/ICSE schools is an old one. Many, who feel that students of these schools don’t need to learn the local language, are quite happy with them being taught Hindi or Sanskrit as the second language. The question is whether a student whose mother tongue is not the local language should be forced to learn it?

The Kannada language legislation was a knee- jerk reaction by the state government to the Supreme Court order scrapping its language policy. Although students will not be required to clear the second language in the board examination, schools will now be forced to engage in eyewash by deputing a teacher for Kannada. Nothing more will be achieved.

I strongly feel the state government's real responsibility, on an immediate basis, is to improve its schools. These institutes had, until last year taught only in the Kannada medium. But now to attract more students these same government schools have introduced LKG and UKG and English medium from Class I.
If this had been done some five years ago, these schools would have been in a good place today. Only time can teach the government the lesson it needs.