Need for qualified teachers to teach English felt

Need for qualified teachers to teach English felt

DH News Service Mysore:

http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/oct172006/district18233120061016.asp

Besides making English language teaching compulsory from class one, State government should ensure that there are qualified teachers to implement it.

This was the unanimous decision of all participants, who included teachers, parents, lecturers, educationists and members of NGOs, at a discussion programme on “Is English necessary or not,” organised by the Association of Concerned and Informed Citizens of Mysore in the city on Monday.

The standard of English teaching is not good in any of the government schools. Teachers are not good at English grammar. This may hamper the government’s move to teach English at the elementary level. Hence, steps should be taken to ensure that there are qualified teachers, Professor Shivaramu, one of the participants, said.

He also added that there was a need for setting the standard of English teaching for Class one students. Government should appoint a panel comprising of experts to look into this issue, he added.

By introducing English from Class one in government schools, students will be benefited and it helps them to compete with their counterparts in private English schools, the participants held.

Psychology Professor Singh said that one should respect one’s mother tongue. But it should not be done blindly.

A child starts learning from the mother’s womb. Whatever it learns, will remain with it till the end.

So it is essential to teach English right from the beginning.

This does not mean that one should neglect Kannada. A child can easily pick up any number of languages easily, he explained.

Another participant, Vilson Devaprasad said that people who are opposing the new rule, are doing so just for the sake of publicity. Critics talk only about the respect towards Kannada and they hardly speak any thing about the benefit of English learning, he argued

English norm: Congress thumbs up for govt move

English norm: Congress thumbs up for govt move

DH News Service Bangalore:

http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/oct172006/state22243220061016.asp

In firm support for making English a compulsory language of study in all Kannada medium primary schools in the State, a group of six Opposition Congress leaders, led by MLC Prof B K Chandrashekar, have noted that English should be compulsorily taught in all schools just as Kannada is taught in all the non-Kannada medium schools.

The State government’s decision in this regard is in no way anti-Kannada, they have said and appealed to the Government to stand its ground, no matter the opposition expressed by some sections.

The other Congress leaders in the group are legislators Dr G Parameshwar, Kumar Bangarappa, A B Patil, M B Patil and Parameshwar Nayak

Referring to what science says on the acquisition of language skills by children and what the courts and some prominent personalities have opined on the issue, these Congress leaders have noted that providing the students the opportunity to study English in one form or the other is a question of social justice.

Referring to renowned language scientist David Crystal’s observation that a population should be exposed to a host of languages and that mono-linguistic days are past, these legislators have pressed for a beginning to be made and ensure that the students in rural areas and those from the weaker sections are not deprived of an opportunity any longer. Towards that end, they have suggested the following measures:

*Introductory English teaching need not go into detailed grammar.

* Text books too can be done away with for the first three years.

* There need be no student assessment tests also.

The Congress leaders have also dismissed the argument of a section of litterateurs that introducing English from Class I will work to the detriment of Kannada. Language scientists opine and well documented research say that three to six years is the age group when the language acquisition skills are pronounced and that the said skills decrease seven year onwards, they have observed. In a brief press statement these Congressmen have pointed out that the High Court is seized of a case where English medium schools and other minority educational institutions have pointed out that parents and their children have the right to choose the medium of study.

They have noted that prominent personalities like former chief justice M N Venakatachalaiah and litterateurs Chandrashekar Kambar and Baraguru Ramachandrappa are on record in their opinion that students’ interest will be better served by learning English at the earliest.

Stiff penalty proposed for e-crime [Baraha and NUDI can be targets now] Govt amends IT Act to tighten cybersecurity

Stiff penalty proposed for e-crime
Indiatimes, India – 12 hours ago
… The IT Act is aimed at boosting e-commerce in the country and also to create an enabling environment for e–governance. With proliferation …

Govt amends IT Act to tighten cybersecurity
Business Standard, India – Oct 16, 2006
The new provisions include greater emphasis on digital signatures, new security practices and procedures for e–governance and other technology applications. …