Good move.
Giving Urdu its proper long due status doesn't mean we are going to ban English.
A kid whose parents speak Urdu/Punjabi/Pashto at home doesn't know a word of English until he gets in to a school. Now first he has to learn a new language and then learn new subjects in that new language. Its crazy if you think about it.
Grasping complex mathematical and scientific concepts is difficult. Its even more difficult if these concepts are explained in a language that you have little grasp of in the first place. I believe, this is part of the reason why our education system is tilted towards cramming.
I have worked with Turkish and Chinese engineers for the past few years. Most of the Chinese learnt English in university. Their schooling was in Chinese and their grasp on basic and advanced concepts of my field was still good. My point is that you don't have to learn Algebra or Chemistry or Physics in English to master these subjects. You can do better in Urdu like a lot of developed countries are doing in their own respective languages.
Now the question arises, Urdu is not the mother tongue of a lot of Pakistanis anyways. But we have to remember two things, first Urdu is closer to our local languages than English. Secondly, Urdu is being adapted very quickly across Pakistani homes by educated parents. Our last census was in '98. I wouldn't be surprised if Urdu has gained at least 20 to 30 percentage points since then as primary language in Pakistani homes.
People opposing this idea and saying things like we are going backwards with this plan, no sir.
Giving Urdu its proper long due status doesn't mean we are going to ban English.
A kid whose parents speak Urdu/Punjabi/Pashto at home doesn't know a word of English until he gets in to a school. Now first he has to learn a new language and then learn new subjects in that new language. Its crazy if you think about it.
Grasping complex mathematical and scientific concepts is difficult. Its even more difficult if these concepts are explained in a language that you have little grasp of in the first place. I believe, this is part of the reason why our education system is tilted towards cramming.
I have worked with Turkish and Chinese engineers for the past few years. Most of the Chinese learnt English in university. Their schooling was in Chinese and their grasp on basic and advanced concepts of my field was still good. My point is that you don't have to learn Algebra or Chemistry or Physics in English to master these subjects. You can do better in Urdu like a lot of developed countries are doing in their own respective languages.
Now the question arises, Urdu is not the mother tongue of a lot of Pakistanis anyways. But we have to remember two things, first Urdu is closer to our local languages than English. Secondly, Urdu is being adapted very quickly across Pakistani homes by educated parents. Our last census was in '98. I wouldn't be surprised if Urdu has gained at least 20 to 30 percentage points since then as primary language in Pakistani homes.
People opposing this idea and saying things like we are going backwards with this plan, no sir.