Shimla: Instructions have now been issued to start English medium in primary schools of the state. These will be implemented from the new academic session starting from 2024–25. This was approved in the cabinet meeting held in Dharamshala during the winter session of the Assembly.
On Thursday, Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar issued written instructions to the Director of Elementary Education and State Project Director of Holistic Education. According to these instructions, the English medium will be made optional instead of compulsory.
The medium of instruction for children of classes I and II in the new academic session will be English. However, Hindi will also be used simultaneously. The Education Secretary has said that after starting with these two classes, gradually English medium will be introduced in the next classes as well.
Instructions to produce Maths and English books in English only were previously granted for this reason. The Education Board will supply the Elementary Education Department with literature in this respect; however, the guidelines state that parents or children who prefer Hindi as the medium of teaching will not be forced to switch to English.
At now, the number of government primary schools in Himachal Pradesh exceeds 10,000. The largest issue facing the education department is still preparing instructors for the English-medium curriculum, which will begin with the upcoming academic year.
The Directorate has been instructed to create an independent teacher training program both before and in between the sessions.
Additionally, a few Secretariat officers will be assigned to oversee this training. ACERT is being consulted in addition to holistic education, according to Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar.
It is notable that while the government has authorised the proposal to commence English medium instruction in all primary schools, the Congress platform called for the construction of four English-medium schools in each constituency.