Karnataka - Bangalore

State defends policy on medium of instruction

BANGALORE: The State Government has defended its language policy for primary schools, saying that it is in conformity with the Constitution of India.

In its statement of objections filed before the Karnataka High Court, the State said it had evolved the language policy to protect the minorities. It clarified that there was no compulsion for students to study Kannada as a medium of instruction from the first to the fourth standard if they studied in the medium of their mother tongue. In case, the students did not study in their mother tongue, they will have to study Kannada.

The State had filed the objections to a petition by Pallavi Cultural and Educational Trust and others who had challenged the refusal of permission by the Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) to them to start English medium schools.

It said the State had come up with a comprehensive language policy by an order on April 29, 1994 in which the mother tongue of a child or Kannada had been made the medium of instruction from the first to the fourth standard in schools.

After the language policy was enunciated, the State has so far not permitted any English medium schools. However, some of the private schools had obtained permission by giving an undertaking to start Kannada schools but were teaching in English. The State, it said, had taken action against such schools.

The State denied that it had violated the constitutional provisions by refusing to permit English medium schools.

Justice Ashok B. Hinchigeri adjourned further hearing on the case to January 22.

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