Kannada as medium of instruction in primary schools opposed by citizens

Karnataka State Assembly recently passed an amendment to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009, making Kannada a compulsory medium of instruction for students from Class I to V. However, this move has not gone down well with the citizens.

Coming down heavily on the state government for taking such a decision, Supreme Court advocate KV Dhananjay speaking with iamin said that most of legislators and politicians send their children only to English medium schools and yet, for the masses, they have mandated Kannada as a medium instruction. “Kannada as a medium of instruction has no place in our legislators’ personal lives and yet, they still want to convince people and the court that the move will be beneficial to all. They know that there is simply no prospect of this new law being upheld by our courts,’’ Dhananjay said.

According to him, after 20 years of legal battles against English medium private schools, the state government lost out on this very issue. “The Karnataka High Court and the Supreme Court have decisively upheld that the government cannot impose any particular medium of instruction or even the mother tongue as a compulsory medium of instruction; that parents have the right to choose the medium of instruction for their wards,’’ he said.

TV Mohandas Pai, chairperson of the Manipal Global Education, also emphasised on why the state legislature has no right to make Kannada a compulsory medium of instruction. “The amendment to the Right to Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 is wrong. I am of the opinion that parents should have the right to choose the medium of instruction for their children. I am not against Kannada and would agree if the language is made a second or third language in primary schools,’’ Pai said.

Expressing a similar opinion, V Ravichandar, an urban expert, talking with iamin said the state government should not compel the parents to choose Kannada as a medium of instruction for their children in schools.

However, Munirathna, Congress MLA from Raja Rajeshwari Nagar assembly constituency, said that people must lay emphasis on learning and speaking Kannada and for the development of the state. “The state legislature has done a good thing by making amendments to the RTE Act. I have come across many youngsters who regret not learning Kannada. Knowing the language will provide people with ample opportunities to get jobs in the state,’’ Munirathna said.

On being asked about competition for Kannada medium students to get jobs in IT & BT segment, the MLA said, “There are many opportunities and facilities to pursue higher studies in Kannada medium. So, there will be no hassles for such students to compete with English medium students to get jobs in IT & BT segments.”

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