The Madras High Court Monday hoped that the Tamil Nadu government would bestow its full attention to introduce spoken English course to students studying in Tamil medium in government schools.
Passing interim orders on a public interest litigation, the division bench, comprising Justices M Sathyanarayanan and P Rajamanickam impleaded the Directorate of State Council for Education Research and Training, Chennai as respondent to the PIL filed by former DMK MLA M Appavu.
"This court, taking note of the fact that English is a link language for communication outside of the state, as well as outside of the country, hopes and trusts the government will bestow their full attention for introduction of spoken English course to the students studying in Tamil medium in the government schools," the bench said.
It directed the authorities concerned to file a counter affidavit by December 6 and also impleaded the director of the State Council for Education, Research and Training, Chennai, as a respondent.
The petitioner submitted that there were about 37,211 government schools, 8,403 government aided schools and 12,419 private self-financing schools such as matriculation and CBSE schools in the state, imparting education to about 1.25 crore students.
About 40 lakh students were studying in private schools, he said.
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The government spends Rs 27,000 crore annually for education, he said.
Submitting that though English was taught as a second language in accordance with the educational policy of the state from class 2 to 12 in Tamil medium, government, aided and un-aided schools, the petitioner said that a student, even after successfully completing plus-two, was unable to speak, write or understand English.
This causes problems when the student pursues professional and other degree courses in various institutions where English is the medium of instruction, he said.
On the other hand, students who pursue school education in English medium in CBSE schools find it easy to understand and communicate in that language and mingle with others, including the faculty, who were fluent in English.
This inability continues even in work places, he said, adding that a need has arisen to emphasise on spoken English in all the Tamil medium government, aided and un-aided schools from primary to higher secondary-level.