English again made mandatory in Gujarat schools

By Our Special Correspondent

GANDHINAGAR, NOV. 27. After three decades, English will again be taught as a compulsory subject in Gujarat schools from Standard V from the next academic year.

The Education Minister, Ms. Anandiben Patel, said the decision was taken as per the State Educational Research and Training Council's recommendations and after consultations with educationists. Compulsory teaching of English had always been a subject of debate and several times the Government's move was opposed by a section of academicians who thought that burdening children with a foreign language was not in their interest.

Initially English was a compulsory subject from standard I but later it was taught from standard IV. The Janata Morcha Government in the mid-1970s, made the subject mandatory from standard VII. During the tenure of Mr. Madhavsinh Solanki as the Chief Minister, English was re-introduced in standard V but as an optional subject.

English is now taught from standard VIII only for those who want to gain proficiency. But in the higher secondary standard's science stream, marks obtained in the subject were not included in the aggregate marks.

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Section  : Other States
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