Page 38 - Tehelka Issue 15 August 2018

haryana

ment has kick- Haryana launcHes ‘I am not afraId
aryana Govern-

started a new and
unique initiative of englIsH’ campaIgn for students
H aimed at enabling
students to read, write and
speak in English right from The Haryana Education Department has launched a unique campaign “I am
class 1. Under the programme, not afraid of English” to help primary school students read, write and speak
touted as ‘I am not afraid of English language fluently, writes Sarrah
English’, one Junior Basic
Training teacher and a Block of the state. Also, the Second-
Resource Person per block ary Education Department
have been trained and tasked has introduced science and
to make students learn one mathematics books in Eng-
sentence every day. The entire lish from Class IX onwards in
exercise aims to inculcate 310 selected schools.
minimum 20 sentences per Last year, the Uttara-
month for 10 months in each khand Government too had
class. launched a similar drive,
With this Haryana has changing the medium of
become the only state in the instruction in 18,000 schools
country to launch such an from Hindi to English in
initiative. English has become phases, starting with Class I.
crucial in an individual’s
academic and professional I’m not afraid of English
career but developing good This slogan and objective of
communication skills in the Haryana Government at
English is challenging. The once speak of the recogni-
bigger challenge is making tion of a problem as well as a
English learning a pleasure. photo: tehelka archives possible way to redress it. The
Those who read for pleasure Annual Status of Education
are autonomous language been launched in 180 primary • Polishing language The entire Reports — which gauge learn-
learners. For such people, schools and will be intro- drill aims to inculcate minimum 20 ing among children in rural
language learning becomes duced in 238 more in the sentences per month in each class areas — have over the years
an enjoyable experience, as current academic session, revealed that the students’
they immerse themselves in according to Rajnarayan ability to read simple sen-
reading and by default learn it Kaushik, Director, Elementary Schools across the state to tences in English is substand-
by heart. This kind of read- Education. facilitate digital learning and ard. In 2016, only 32 per cent
ing may well be much more An NCERT booklet with improve the listening and pupils of class III could read
powerful as the pleasure 1,000 sentences and phrases speaking skills of students. simple words in the language.
component allows absorp- has been prepared. It car- More such labs will be set up That, generally, is the norm in
tion of language without any ries 200 sentences for each later in other schools. The 180 all primary classes. There is
anxiety, block, and fear of grade — from grade I to V. primary schools where the thus an urgent need to tackle
understanding. A primary teacher and one initiative, in partnership with the handicap head on to
Rajnarayan Kaushik, Di- Block Resource Person has NGO ‘Humana People to Peo- overcome it.
rector, Elementary Education been trained to make students ple India’, has been launched This initiative is aimed at
told that children studying learn one sentence every day have been made bag-free equipping children to face
in government primary (minimum 20 per month for for children in Classes I and the world and the job market.
schools can take benefit of the 10 months). In this way, stu- II, who have been provided Six language labs have been
programme ‘’I am not afraid dents will be able to read and lockers. Gradually, language established in selected Model
of English’’ initiative which is write at least 1,000 sentences labs will be set up in other Sanskriti schools in the state
aimed at introducing English until they graduate to the next schools of the state also. Bag- to facilitate digital learning
right from Class 1. “It will en- level.” free English Medium Schools and improve listening and
able teachers to help students Further, six language for classes 1st and 2nd have speaking skills of the students.
read, write and speak English”. labs have been established been started in selected 180
The initiative has already in selected Model Sanskriti government primary schools letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 15 august 2018 38 www.Tehelka.com