LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 20:3 March 2020
ISSN 1930-2940

Editors:
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Managing Editor & Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

HOME PAGE

Click Here for Back Issues of Language in India - From 2001

Celebrate India!
Unity in Diversity!!

BOOKS FOR YOU TO READ AND DOWNLOAD FREE!

REFERENCE MATERIALS

BACK ISSUES

  • E-mail your articles and book-length reports in Microsoft Word to languageinindiaUSA@gmail.com.

  • PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES GIVEN IN HOME PAGE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LIST OF CONTENTS.

  • Your articles and book-length reports should be written following the APA, MLA, LSA, or IJDL Stylesheet.

  • The Editorial Board has the right to accept, reject, or suggest modifications to the articles submitted for publication, and to make suitable stylistic adjustments. High quality, academic integrity, ethics and morals are expected from the authors and discussants.

Copyright © 2020
M. S. Thirumalai

Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
11249 Oregon Circle
Bloomington, MN 55438
USA
Custom Search

Language Education in Karnataka Since 1956

Prof. B. Mallikarjun

Abstract

In Karnataka, now in 2020, Kannada education is at a perilous stage. This paper, “Language Education in Karnataka Since 1956”, (full title -- ‘Language Education (language as a subject and as a medium of instruction from 1st to 10th standards) in Karnataka - A Journey from 1956’) intends to take the reader through twists and turns that school education in the multilingual state has taken in dealing with language issues. The role played by the committees, government and judiciary in formulating language policy is analysed. The changes that have taken place in language education are highlighted.

An attempt is also made to look at the socio-economic and socio-linguistic issues that have played a role in this struggle for existence of Kannada in the multilingual maze.

The journey passes through: the primacy of mother tongue in the primary schools from 1st to 4th standards (1956); status of Kannada as a ‘sole’ first language in the secondary schools (1982); only students whose mother tongue is English can study in English medium from 1st to 4thstandards (1994) and now, the student or on his behalf parents or guardian has right to choose the medium of instruction (2014).

Ultimately it is proved beyond doubt that legal issues are important for judiciary and not the academic or cognitive issues.

The poor response of the students to study through their mother tongue, extraordinary love of English medium and support of the government for the same through setting up of new English medium sections, attempt of the government to compulsorily teach Kannada either as first or second language in schools, with ‘The Kannada Language Learning Act, 2015’ not taking off the ground in letter and spirit are discussed in this paper.

Keywords: Kannada as medium of education, legal issues, judiciary intervention, focus on English as the preferred medium, parental/student choice as legal instrument, downgrading value and importance of mother tongue as medium.

Introduction

Karnataka, one of the states of the Union of India, was formed on Nov 1, 1956 by integrating different Kannada speaking geographical units on the basis of the language used by the majority, and geographic contiguity. One of the important reasons for bringing various parts into a single administrative unit was to facilitate effective administration and give an impetus for the development of the people. The integration of the geographical units that had Kannada as the dominant language was expected to help the people to work united for faster economic development and help wider participation of common people in the developmental activities initiated by the State. It was also expected to help develop Kannada as a fit vehicle of communication and education to meet the modern needs. So, the linguistic re-unification was followed by the enactment of the Karnataka Official Language Act, 1963 which declared:

Kannada as the Official language of the State. Karnataka has common borders with Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Maharashtra, and Kerala states where Telugu, Tamil, Konkani, Marathi, and Malayalam are the Official Languages respectively. The bordering districts of these states have a large number of bilingual populations.

Linguistic Landscape of Karnataka

Like India, Karnataka too is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-lingual pluralistic state. The linguistic demography of Karnataka presents a rainbow combination of mother tongues and it is the most multilingual state in the country. As far as multilingualism is concerned there is no parallel to Karnataka in India, so are the issues of language education in the state. This multilingualism is unique not only because of coexistence of many languages but also because more and more people are having competence to use more languages other than their mother tongue. It is to be remembered that Census of India in 1971 records 166 mother tongues in Karnataka.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Prof. B. Mallikarjun
Former Director
Centre for Classical Kannada
Central University of Karnataka
Kadaganchi, Aland Road
Kalaburagi District - 585311
KARNATAKA, INDIA
mallikarjun56@gmail.com
Custom Search
  • Click Here to Go to Creative Writing Section

  • Send your articles
    as an attachment
    to your e-mail to
    languageinindiaUSA@gmail.com.
  • Please ensure that your name, academic degrees, institutional affiliation and institutional address, and your e-mail address are all given in the first page of your article. Also include a declaration that your article or work submitted for publication in LANGUAGE IN INDIA is an original work by you and that you have duly acknowledged the work or works of others you used in writing your articles, etc. Remember that by maintaining academic integrity we not only do the right thing but also help the growth, development and recognition of Indian/South Asian scholarship.