Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday strongly defended the state government's move to introduce English medium in government schools.
He pointedly asked Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, his predecessor and Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu, and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan whether or not their children and grandchildren were studying in English medium schools. He also raked up the issue of Mr Kalyan’s previous marriages.
In a programme held on the occasion of the 132nd birth anniversary of freedom fighter and the country's first education minister, Dr Moulana Abul Kalam Azad, Mr Reddy said that in order to eradicate poverty, students should get jobs, and for that, English as the medium of instruction is important.
The Chief Minister said that many senior leaders have been criticising the government order he issued to change the medium of instruction from Telugu to English in Government schools.
"Education is the biggest asset we are going to give to the next generation, which will shape them into future citizens, ready to go into the competitive world. When we announced the introduction of English medium there was criticism from Chandrababu Naidu, Venkaiah Naidu and actor Pawan Kalyan. They should introspect if they are sending their children and grandchildren to English medium schools or Telugu medium schools.
“Actor Pawan Kalyan has three wives and four to five children — are they studying in English medium schools? Education in English is the right of all sections and we have done that by introducing English medium," he said.
