India moves to end primary teaching in English as Modi unveils major education reforms

[jamal18]

Yep. 10 million acheive fluency in a population of over a billion.

Not exactly widespread. Amazing that China is becoming a world economic power without English?

 

[TheGreatMaratha]

As my early stage was in Urdu, it was really difficult for me to speak बाण correctly. I also found ष very challenging, so never really bothered to learn the difference in school. ICSE board in the '90s (not sure about today) had more in common with England's education system than India's. Some of us were preparing for Sixth Form in the UK because they would be transferring there eventually (ICSE allows you to transfer from India to UK and other Commonwealth countries without any hassles!). Basically, in my school and board, it was doable to not learn Hindi/Marathi much if you so chose. We had another language option called French: I took it for a year, but got bored and actually switched back to Marathi as it was easier to bunk those classes (our French teacher was a jerk).

I don't think any Indian kid even in CBSE does complete novels by Charles Dickens and Jane Austen before senior secondary. We had A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Pride and Prejudice, in our syllabus. Exactly the same upbringing as a public school child in England right here in Bombay (Mumbai). We also had Shakespeare's 16-18 plays including Othello, King Lear, Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, The Tempest...the entire focus of ICSE used to be English.

However, it wasn't the same in public grounds. Some extreme private schools in India that are synced with ICSE actually used to have "God saves the Queen" in the parade ground...right on Indian soil. Of course, we had to do Jana Gana Mana and Sare Jahan Say Acha.

I believe that kind of British-oriented syllabus has now been diluted in India in recent years even in ICSE, and now more of the Indian languages are enforced. But some private schools might still remain an exception. Also, the demand for "British-ness" is much less in urban India...everyone looks up to the USA, lol. Indians.

I studied in State Board (Convent school) and not CBSE/ICSE. We too had a language option of German while some other schools had a language option of Sanskrit/German/French, etc(depending on the school). I didn't choose German though as I was hesitant of learning a completely new language and thus went with 100% Hindi instead of 50% Hindi 50% German. Of course, Marathi and English were compulsory.

I think ICSE is more popular in Mumbai than in Pune. Here, it's either SSC or CBSE mostly.

 

[Shantanu_Left]

I studied in State Board (Convent school) and not CBSE/ICSE. We too had a language option of German while some other schools had a language option of Sanskrit/German/French, etc(depending on the school). I didn't choose German though as I was hesitant of learning a completely new language and thus went with 100% Hindi instead of 50% Hindi 50% German. Of course, Marathi and English were compulsory.

I think ICSE is more popular in Mumbai than in Pune. Here, it's either SSC or CBSE mostly.

I regret making fun of/looking down on Maharashtra Board students in my heyday. Indeed, it doesn't matter where you study: if you're a bright student, you will move places. In fact, many of those Maharashtra Board students are doing a lot better than I am...it's called just desserts. LOL

No, Maharashtra Board is much more common in Mumbai. CBSE is second most common. ICSE schools were a rarity even in my time, just we might have more of them in Mumbai than Pune.

 

[Michael Corleone]

Isn't that a little elitist ?Not everyone is a genius. By making the boards so hard to pass a large number of students are going to fail and surrender the hope of a future. If they pass albeit with lower grades they may be able to go on to a skill shop. Isn't this the main problem with education in India that it produces the brightest or the totally unskilled. Nothing in between.

Well yes, but given the large pool of population, they face no problem exporting these talents abroad to bring in money to India... but as for low grades graduates, the marks get upgraded when they convert it to other systems... so a 70% graduate becomes a B+ in US... enough to put you into any college you want bar the top Ivy League without commission

 

[Michael Corleone]

How come you studied in India?

I studied in an Indian international school abroad... never been to India

 

[Joe Shearer]

La Martiniere, Lucknow, very good school. Not sure about today.

ICSE rocks, man. All those of you weren't there have missed out greatly!

Wah, yeh dekho.

Sartifikit bhi mil gaya.

 

[Redbeanpaste]

Well yes, but given the large pool of population, they face no problem exporting these talents abroad to bring in money to India... but as for low grades graduates, the marks get upgraded when they convert it to other systems... so a 70% graduate becomes a B+ in US... enough to put you into any college you want bar the top Ivy League without commission

Ah so ! The whole purpose of education in India is to provide workers for other countries?

In the US, the aim of education is to bring out maximum potential from available students. Only a minority are capable of college level studies, the majority learn skills . Plumbing, construction is very lucrative. There are dental hygienists, pharmacy technicians, book keepers . All require some education but not to college level.

Is this a result of caste in India ?

 

[Joe Shearer]

Ah so ! The whole purpose of education in India is to provide workers for other countries?

In the US, the aim of education is to bring out maximum potential from available students. Only a minority are capable of college level studies, the majority learn skills . Plumbing, construction is very lucrative. There are dental hygienists, pharmacy technicians, book keepers . All require some education but not to college level.

Is this a result of caste in India ?

No.

Read Macaulay's Minute on Education.

They wanted just a small number of people, enough to serve as their clerks and as other similar positions. It wasn't geared to produce doctors, lawyers, accountants and so on. All those modifications came in later.

 

[waz]

Ah you didn't get me either. I have a great talent of acting angry/annoyed but that was semi-serious.

Anyway. f. that. It'll be my pleasure to have you, bhai. Hoping you are a Scotch-drinker (actually any whiskies are great with me). S'pore has a great nightlife but nothing on Shoreditch or SoHo. It's a squeaky clean place for my kind of fun. For partying, I usually take a short trip to Bangkok, Bali or nearby Johor. Let me know about your girl preferences in advance, hah hah

Bhai I'm married lol, those hell raising days long gone. If I go down that route again I will have three extra wives hahah.
It will have to be soft as well as I don't drink, but I assure you I am one hell of a good crack. Dude we meet at Clarke Quay, Sands has great venues.

 

[Joe Shearer]

https://theprint.in/opinion/the-mot...edium=push_notification&utm_campaign=ThePrint

 

[Shantanu_Left]

Eid Mubarak to all the bhai's here...Have a fantastic next few days ahead.

@xeuss @Joe Shearer @jamahir @HalfMoon @The_Showstopper @waz

 

[Shantanu_Left]

Bhai I'm married lol, those hell raising days long gone. If I go down that route again I will have three extra wives hahah.
It will have to be soft as well as I don't drink, but I assure you I am one hell of a good crack. Dude we meet at Clarke Quay, Sands has great venues.

Sure, bro. I'm also tamer than what I used to be. You're a chill person, that's all.

 

[waz]

Eid Mubarak to all the bhai's here...Have a fantastic next few days ahead.

@xeuss @Joe Shearer @jamahir @HalfMoon @The_Showstopper @waz

Thank you bhai! Mubarak to you as well.

 

[Redbeanpaste]

https://theprint.in/opinion/the-mot...edium=push_notification&utm_campaign=ThePrint

The point remains that education should not be only for that tiny minority capable of doing PhDs. What South Asia including (especially) Pakistan needs is people with intermediary skills.

And despite all the super educated you produce, from what I see most doctor's and scientists are working at first world problems not at what you need. So a lot of peer reviewed research on specialist cancer treatment , hardly anything on child stunting.
The number of lives ruined by the latter being multiples of the former.
Does anybody even know the cause of air pollution in India or Pakistan ? You hear theories in crop burning or two wheelers but all the brains are busy pushing the frontiers of Alzheimer's research or something like that while there are not enough studies on what affects the average man on a south AsIan street.

Too many chiefs not enough Indians.

 

[Michael Corleone]

Ah so ! The whole purpose of education in India is to provide workers for other countries?

In the US, the aim of education is to bring out maximum potential from available students. Only a minority are capable of college level studies, the majority learn skills . Plumbing, construction is very lucrative. There are dental hygienists, pharmacy technicians, book keepers . All require some education but not to college level.

Is this a result of caste in India ?

No you don’t get the point. They make too many qualified professionals to give job to... so they make sure other countries students have difficulty competing with their students in international market. You should see my colleagues in med school, total cut throats to be on the top.
Their qualified population amounts for a huge level of income which adds to their economy.
Side effect is everyone is expect to be a doctor, engineer or lawyer... any less and they are failures having hard time to even get married
Many students in India commit suicide. Indian students in Kuwait use memory boosting drugs to beat the top. It’s nuts.
I however prefer t have a balance in life