Criticism for the Assam government's decision to teach Science and Math in English in schools

• Image Credit: Internet

• Jul 31, 2022 | Kabir Chakraborty

According to certain publications, the BJP-led government's action was hastily made without consulting relevant parties and will eventually harm Assamese and other vernacular languages. color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">

color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">Digital Desk: Some political parties,
literary organizations, and student organizations have criticized the Assam
cabinet's decision to teach Science and Mathematics in English rather than
Assamese or other indigenous languages.

color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">As opposed to the current practice of
teaching them in Assamese, Bodo, or Bengali, the subjects will henceforth be
taught in English in all government institutions from Class 3 through Class 12
following approval by the state cabinet on Thursday.

mso-themecolor:text1">Assamese and other languages won't suffer from the
introduction of English as a medium for teaching science and math because
students will still study them as subjects. The initiative may persuade many
parents to enrol their children in public schools, the chief minister Himanta
Biswa Sarma said on Friday at a function in Guwahati.

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color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">According to certain publications, the
BJP-led government's action was hastily made without consulting relevant
parties and will eventually harm Assamese and other vernacular languages.

mso-themecolor:text1">"The state government's current action is rather
unclear. The state cabinet has determined that science and math will be taught
in English, contrary to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's earlier public
support for teaching medicine and engineering in Assamese. Debabrata Saikia,
the head of the opposition Congress, said that the Assam administration should
be clear about its view on both matters.

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color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">Assamese and other state vernacular languages
would become less relevant, according to the regional party Raijor Dal. In a
statement released on July 28, the party charged that the government had
neglected to address concerns relating to teacher preparation and other
difficulties with educational institutions.

mso-themecolor:text1">The president of Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) said at a
press conference on Saturday that the government's justification that the
decision was made to ensure that students from Assam perform better in
national-level exams doesn't hold water. "Children learn better in their
mother tongues, especially at the primary level, according to research done
around the world," he said.

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color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">Asam Sahitya Sabha (ASS), the state's
foremost literary organization, and the most powerful students' union, All
Assam Students Union (AASU), have both criticized the government's decision.
The availability of teachers to teach science and math in English is another
issue.

mso-themecolor:text1">The state's two most important Bodo organizations, the
Bodo Sahitya Sabha and the All Bodo Students Union have opposed the move,
claiming it was made in a hurry and will harm the Bodo language.

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mso-themecolor:text1">"I applaud the cabinet's decision. Nowadays, many
parents enrol their children in English-medium schools. The action might
contribute to reversing that tendency. As president of the United Peoples Party
Liberal (UPPL), a member of the current coalition in Assam, and the chief of
the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), Pramod Bodo, said, "I don't think
there's any threat to vernacular languages and the present government won't
take any such action.

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