English medium: Primary teachers welcome move

Bengaluru, 11 July 2018 [Fik/News Sources]: The Karnataka State Primary School Teachers Association (KSPSTA) on Tuesday welcomed the state government’s move to include English from kindergarten classes in government schools.
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had announced during the state budget that 1,000 English-medium government schools will be established on a pilot basis in order to improve the quality of education. Government schools would also open admissions for LKG and UKG classes, in order to improve the student enrolment ratio, he had mentioned. Welcoming the announcements, KSPSTA President V.M. Narayana Swamy said the association has been demanding a common school education policy in the state for a decade. “The move to begin 1000 English-medium schools should be implemented as it would bring government schools in par with private schools and improve enrolment,” he said.

Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and the Kannada Development Authority (KDA) engaged in a war of words after she called the latter an "insignificant group of naysayers" for opposing the state government's proposal to introduce English-medium classes in 1,000 primary schools. In response KDA chairman S.G. Siddaramaiah wrote a letter to her seeking apology. "I have no option but to sympathise with your views on education, that is devoid of cultural and human values."