Vernacular education is just as important as English education / Photograph by Sasint

English vs vernacular medium education: The debate rages on

Education is the gateway to the careers of students. English being the global language gives an upper hand to those privileged enough to have access to it from a very young age. However, the emphasis of many modern English-medium schools on the two official languages of India, English and Hindi, is hampering the vernacular education of India's youngsters.

Recently, in a Bengali debate show organised by a private news channel, famous RJ Ayantika said, "Would a student from a Bengali medium school be able to bag a good corporate job? I don't think so. What do you think?" In no time, the clip became viral on social media and netizens went wild over this issue. The incident has sparked a debate on opportunities available to native speakers and the language divide. Some comments read, "Maybe she knows a lot about corporates, but I have studied in a Bengali medium school and I am now working in Google. What does she have to say about it?" In contrast, several others sympathised with her and shared their experiences.

English as a global language

In most corporate sectors, English is, by default, the officially-used language. Also, in most of the higher educational institutes in India, it is the preferred language for teaching and communication. Having fluency in the language inevitably gives an upper hand in communicating effectively. Practice is the only thing that makes one's articulation and vocabulary in a particular language seamless. Studying in an English-medium school provides the students from a young age the privilege of communicating in English. Instructions in English naturally help them to have the advantage of expressing their thoughts and feelings effectively; thus, giving them an upper hand in developing English communication skills. This is why several parents are uninterested in admitting their children into schools that teach in vernacular language. Another factor contributing to this disinterest is the lack of proper infrastructure and teaching facilities in vernacular schools, especially government-run institutions.

Cultural impact

Indians have been mainly sensitive about their identity, caste, creed, religion and language. India's Constitution recognises 22 vernacular languages. According to the Census 2011, more than 19,500 languages are spoken in India. Indian cultural heritages, including literature and art, have been primarily published in the vernacular languages. What is worrisome is that the tendency to enrol in an English-medium school to prosper in their career is not providing students with enough opportunities to learn their local languages properly. This is not to claim that studying in a vernacular-medium school is the only way to learn and understand the vernacular languages. However, the neglect of a vernacular language has a profound cultural impact. As the great poet Acharya Dandi said, we would be going into the dark if the light of language stops existing; we slowly forget our linguistic heritage and roots.

Related link: Language Policy in Education and Classroom Practices in India: Is the Teacher a Cog in the Policy Wheel?

The states' misplaced priorities

Indian states were primarily created based on languages. In today's India, there are not enough opportunities in the regional languages, which is disturbing. The states have failed to focus on creating jobs and growth-based opportunities in the vernacular languages. As a result, the jobs demanding English language skills have gained much more momentum, creating a division between those fluent in English and those who are not. The steady conjunct of the language with the economic well-being has solidified the disparities so much that one privileged section with access to English education has absorbed most of the opportunities in their hands. This structure could only be broken by dismantling the hegemony of English in the economic sector by introducing a vernacular-language-based official financial system. Instead, the states seem more invested in promoting their vernacular languages for recreational advertising while continuing to use English and Hindi as the primary medium.

Higher education in vernacular languages

Famous Indian scientist Professor Satyendranath Bose, the founder of Bose-Einstein statistics, used to teach his students quantum physics in Bengali at the University of Calcutta. Professor Prafulla C. Roy, Prof. Satyen Bose, and several other polymaths published complex scientific papers and books in Bengali. In contemporary times, the concentration of English language books in higher education has created a severe problem for students who have done their primary education in languages other than English. Many scientists believe that language should not be a barrier in the learning process. The state and the publishers should encourage producing reading materials in vernacular languages also.

There has to be a balance between the English language-based education system with the inclusion of vernacular texts. The vernacular language medium schools have to improve their facilities to incorporate international standards to regain the parents' trust.