Spoken-English in Vernacular Private schools

GUWAHATI: Low-cost vernacular medium private schools in the State will introduce spoken-English course to make their students fluent in the language.

Even though 551 private low-cost schools in the Brahmaputra valley has been performing brilliantly in the HSLC examinations, some of their students are lagging behind in their future career options due to their lack of fluency in the English language.

Shishu Shiksha Samiti, Assam, which runs 551 private low-cost schools, had been stressing on educating students in mother tongues. The Samiti set up its first school in 1979.

Of the 551 Shishu Shiksha Samiti schools, 544 are in the Assamese medium, three in Bodo, three in English and one in Rabha medium. The Samiti is affiliated to Vidya Bharati and runs schools in the name of Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankaradev.

The Samiti’s organising secretary, Hemanta Dhing Mazumdar, said spoken English lessons would be introduced from Classes I to X from this academic session.

“The decision was taken after our internal survey and assessment reflected the parents’ yearning to see their children fluent in English so that they can adapt to the changing world,” Mazumdar said.

Four students from the schools run by the Shishu Shiksha Samiti, Assam, were among the top 10 rank holders in the HSLC examinations whose results were announced on May 15. Meghashree Borah from Sankardev Shishu Bidya Niketan, Narayanpur, in Lakhimpur district, topped the exam.

Altogether 7,614 students from 263 Samiti-run schools appeared for the HSLC examinations this year. Of them, 4,210 passed in the first division, 2,227 in the second division and 725 in the third division. The pass percentage of the Sankardev Shishu/Vidya Niketans was 94.07 as against the overall pass percentage of 60.23. All students from its 132 schools passed the exam.

The maximum expenditure against a Class-X student in a Samiti-run school is Rs 12,000 in Guwahati. The amount is lower in rural areas.

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