The Mandarin twist

The Punjab government’s decision to introduce Mandarin as one of the four optional languages for senior secondary students appears to fly in the face of logic.

Hobbled by lack of teachers, the state education system has completely failed its students when it comes to firming up their English language skills. Unfortunately, the fear of English is so endemic that it has now calcified into a distaste for the language, and the young minds can’t be blamed for that.

Though the government claims that Mandarin will help students seek better employment opportunities, English is still the lingua franca of the world. What seems to be a specious logic is this sudden emphasis on foreign languages like German, Italian, and French, which will apparently help students to migrate to greener pastures.

When social science teachers double as English language instructors, from where will the government source a large number of people proficient in foreign languages?

The board examination results this year paint a grim picture. Pass percentage dipped to 58 from last year’s 73 per cent — the sharpest ever decline in a decade. And, more than 40 per cent students had failed in English. Is the Punjab government’s decision to cast the spotlight on Mandarin influenced by across the border Punjab’s initiative, where teachers from China will provide training and help compile the study material? Despite his best intentions, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has got his priorities wrong.