Right to English medium education essential, says AP CM

Andhra Pradesh is the pioneer in introducing English medium education right from the primary level, and others should emulate the State, according to Chief Minister Y.S Jaganmohan Reddy.

He was defending the move of his Government in making English medium education compulsory from the first standard to the sixth from the next academic year in the State Assembly on Thursday.

During a debate, he said "the opposition Telugu Desam Party and the media favourable to it have unleashed a malicious campaign that it will sound the death knell for Telugu language and Telugu culture. Nothing of that sort will happen, as we have made Telugu also compulsory from the first standard. Students will gain proficiency in both the languages and the knowledge of English will stand them in good stead when they go out to seek a livelihood in other states and countries. They cannot make any headway in the present competitive world without English."

He further added that "I will go so far as to say that it is not enough to talk about the right to education, but we should insist on the right to English education, especially for the children from the poorer sections of the society. They will now get an opportunity to get their children educated in English medium, and they can compete with students from the more affluent sections, which the TDP and Chandrababu Naidu do not like."

He also found fault with the former Chief Minister for allegedly "taking a dual stand and playing a double game on the issue. Taking a U-turn is normal for the former CM. It is proved once again."

Rebutting the allegation, the former Chief Minister said he had never opposed English but had taken a nuanced, balanced stand on the issue, and the CM was deliberately distorting his statements. "All said and done, it is not Jaganmohan Reddy who has invented the English language or introduced it in the Government schools first. I did it first in select municipal schools, and there was a huge uproar, and the same gentleman who has now turned into an aggressive advocate of English opposed it then. When he was in the opposition, he opposed it for opposition's sake. Now he is defending it. His double standards are too evident."

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