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Now, English medium must in Andhra colleges
Hyderabad The Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday made English the medium of instruction in all undergraduate colleges in the state, doing away with Telugu as the medium , with effect from the ongoing academic year 2021-22, in a move that it said was aimed at improving the prospects of students
Hyderabad The Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday made English the medium of instruction in all undergraduate colleges in the state, doing away with Telugu as the medium , with effect from the ongoing academic year 2021-22, in a move that it said was aimed at improving the prospects of students. Andhra Pradesh is the first major state or Union Territory in the country to do this.
An official release from the department of higher education said the decision to do this in all government, private and government-aided degree colleges was taken at a recent meeting held by chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
A notification issued by the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) on Tuesday said all private unaided and aided degrees colleges offering Telugu medium courses should submit proposals for conversion into English medium between June 18 and 28.
However, the colleges can continue to have Telugu as a language course in the curriculum, the notification said.
The Jagan government planned to make English the medium of instruction in all government schools , from the primary level, in 2020-21 itself, but the decision was struck down by the Andhra Pradesh high court in April last year. The issue is now pending before the Supreme Court. It is likely that the order on colleges will also be challenged.
According to the department’s official release, the government strongly feels that making English the medium of instruction at the undergraduate level will enhance the career prospects of graduates.
Out of over 262,000 students who started college education in the state in 2020-21, only 65,981 enrolled in Telugu medium colleges. Of these, 24,007 students opted for BA, 16,925 BCom and 24,960 BSc , according to the state government.
The government said a majority of BSc students will be looking for job opportunities in various parts of the country and abroad. Similarly, a large number of BA and B Com graduates prefer getting into sales and marketing, apart from journalism and research.
“It is essential that these students pursue their undergraduate courses in English. The transition from Telugu medium to English Medium will be easier at the graduate level,” the official release said, adding that it will also introduce spoken English courses at various levels in the undergraduate courses.
Professor S Prasanna Sree, chairperson of board of studies at Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, said it was a bold decision to make English the medium of instruction at the graduate level.
“It is essential to have higher education in English because it makes the students globally competitive. At the same time, the government should not ignore the native language of the students and (must) promote it as one of the subjects,” she added.
