NRN for English medium schools in villages

NRN for English medium schools in villages

By Lakshman Kodase DH News Service Bangalore:

“By all means make Kannada compulsory. But the next generation will not be able to compete globally if they are not educated in English….

These were the words of Infosys Chief Mentor Narayana Murthy when his reaction was sought on the State Government making Kannada compulsory in schools from next year.

In a telephonic conversation with Deccan Herald, Murthy said it is not enough to start teaching English from first Standard. Many countries across the world, including China, have realised the importance of English as a lingua franca. Here, the children of elite and the rich are studying in English medium.

At the same time, Dalits, the poor and the backward classes are deprived of the opportunity. Why deny the same to the poor, he asked.

He said Kannada could be made compulsory while providing education in English medium. The government should regularise English medium schools.

“Moreover, if necessary steps are not taken to implement English medium in rural schools, the next generation will be rendered irrelevant in the global job market,” he cautioned.

When asked which are the areas that needed attention to realise the notion of a progressive state, Murthy said “prepare an employment-friendly atmosphere. In the present context, there is a lot of scope in the private sector.

The situation should improve wherein not just the engineers of IT-BT sectors but also those who have studied upto SSLC or PUC should be able to obtain jobs. By taking similar measures, China has created about 11 million jobs annually.