Students will have the option to switch to English medium in class V; the new system will begin from the next academic year.
Sheth CN Vidyavihar, one of the most celebrated Gujarati-medium schools in the state, is set to add another chapter to its history of academic excellence. The school, which religiously follows Gandhian principles even in the education it imparts to its students, has decided to introduce English as a medium of instruction from the next academic year. It will, however, continue to run its Gujarat-medium classes simultaneously.
English will be introduced as a medium of instruction only from class V but, initially, the school will follow the Gujarat board curriculum even for the English-medium class V. Eventually, the school will switch to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum from class VI for the English-medium stream.
The school authorities say the decision will not restrict or undermine the importance of the school’s Gujarati-medium classes. “The English-medium stream will not function at the cost of the Gujarati-medium classes,” said TJ Purani, director of the school. “There will be no change in the current functioning of the school nor will there be any reduction in the number of students in the Gujarati-medium classes.”
Purani said the school will first offer its own class IV students the option of switching to English medium. “Only then will we admit students from outside to fill the vacant seats,” he said. The school will also admit more students in the Gujarat section to fill the vacancies created by students switching to the English-medium stream.
“We had received many requests from parents who wanted us to start an English-medium stream,” Purani said. “After prolonged discussions on the matter, the management asked a non-profit NGO to conduct a survey to determine whether the change was feasible,” he said. On the basis of the survey report, the management decided to introduce an English medium stream.
The management further says that the functioning of the school’s English-medium stream will be different from that of other English-medium schools.
“Unlike other English-medium schools, CN will lay equal emphasis on Gujarati, Hindi and Sanskrit languages,” the director of the school said. For the past one decade, the school has increased the emphasis on acquisition of English language skills even in its Gujarati-medium classes. Classes in the English-medium stream will have two sections each, with 35-40 students in each section. Purani said the school had already received Gujarat board’s approval for the English-medium classes while the process of affiliation to the CBSE is underway.
In an effort to ensure that students of class IV make a smooth transition from Gujarati to English-medium, the school will also host a month-long training programme during the vacation for maths, science, and English subjects.
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