In one of our previous articles, we discussed the real meaning of English Medium School and how Indian schools can be classified in to 3 types of English Medium Schools. But now comes the more important question – What type of English Medium School should we choose for our kids?
My preference is the 2nd type i.e. progressively English medium school. There are 4 reasons why...
Objective is to get a strong hold on the subject
No doubt English is very important today and I am all for getting mastery of the language. But in Maths class, focus should be understanding the fundamentals of Maths i.e. numbers, shapes, additions etc. The ability to correctly spell ADDITION can be acquired later too.
Students comprehend better in their mother tongue
If we want to teach something new, I want to make full use of student’s brain power in assimilating the new concept. Putting the additional burden of English will divert part of their brain power in comprehending the language and only a part will go to understanding the concept.
Teachers can communicate better in their first language
I believe that the rate at which schools are growing they have issues finding great teachers. This is especially true for early classes. I would rather have teachers talk to students in their local language and teach the subject rather than doing the double whammy of using incorrect English and communicating wrong concept
Students can ask questions easily
How many students have stuck tongue tied on their seats because we did not have enough confidence to ask questions and clarify doubts? The least we can do is to stop the language from becoming a hindrance.
That is why I prefer progressively English medium school. These schools give students time to understand the subject in their language and only gradually move them to English. Tell us what you think?