Andhra CM Jagan slams Naidu for opposing govt on Eng medium schools

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday slammed former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu for speaking against the state government's bid to convert all government schools into English medium from the next academic year, reported news agency ANI.  "I ask Chandrababu Naidu, sir, in which medium did your son study? In what medium your grandson is going to study?," Reddy reportedly said at an event to celebrate the birth anniversary of the country's first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.

The chief minister highlighted the importance of learning English in these times. "Our children in poverty should also get educated and flourish. For that, they should study in English medium schools. Today we are competing with the world. Anybody wants to get a job; he must learn English. Without English one cannot compete with the world," Reddy said. "I am striving for our children to get good studies, our children should study in English medium schools, all our schools should be in English medium," he added. 

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Conversion to English medium school

The state government had recently issued a government order giving permission to the Commissioner of School Education to convert all government, Mandal Parishad Primary (MPP), and Zilla Parishad schools into English medium. The program is called 'Naadu-Nedu' programme, in which all Mandal Parishad Primary School (MPP) and Zilla Parishad schools and government schools will be covered under the scheme. Classes 1-8 will be converted into English medium from the academic year 2020-2021 while classes 9 and 10 will be converted from the academic year 2021-2022, under the scheme.

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The state government has directed the Commissioner to take appropriate efforts to implement Telugu/Urdu as a compulsory subject as per the current medium of instruction, according to ANI. The government is reportedly planning to train 70,000 teachers in English medium before the change in instruction medium kicks in. The District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) has been tasked with the programme by the CM, as per reports.

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