A Malayalam-medium school run by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has also downed its shutters.
As in the case of other regional-language schools, a Malayalam-medium school run by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has also downed its shutters. The teachers of this school may have accepted the reality of the situation, but the pain of the school’s closure is reflected in their eyes.
Geeta Nair and A Premlata were two teachers of Malayalam medium school number two at Bapunagar, residents of the Judges Bungalows area and Maninagar, respectively. They now teach at a Marathi school in Bapunagar.
“Earlier, people from Kerala would live in a single area. So, there was an adequate number of children to run a Malayalam-medium school. Such ghettos do not exist anymore and many people have either moved to other parts of the city or returned to Kerala,” said Premlata.
“Most people,” said Nair, “have realised the importance of English as an international language. They want their children to receive a higher education and travel abroad; fluency in English is a must for both.” She said that some Keralites in Gujarat from weaker economic backgrounds opt to admit their children into Gujarati medium school. “And I see nothing wrong in this,” she said.
While aware of the need and importance of the English language, Premlata and Nair have both decided to impart teaching of Malayalam to their next generation, to keep them connected with their culture.
“We would teach all the subjects by translating Gujarati textbooks into Malayalam. Only the Malayalam language textbook was brought from Kerala. The students then learnt the language, but now do not have any direct interaction with it,” said Nair.
“However, Malayalam community groups are putting in efforts to impart knowledge of their mothertongue to the next generation. There are also some news weeklies in Malayalam.”
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}