Senior scholar and former VC of Mysore University Prof De Javare Gowda and well-known poet Prof K S Nisar Ahmed stressed on the need for formulating a national language policy to find a solution to the problem of medium of instruction and related issues.
Speaking on the sidelines of silver jubilee celebrations of Prasaranga of Mangalore University here on Wednesday, Prof De Javare Gowda said Kannada should be medium of instruction from first to tenth standard. However, English should be made a compulsory language to study.
“English is a world language. We need to make use of it. The language policy should be passed in the Parliament. Initially, education was a state subject. It was later, Indira Gandhi included it in the concurrent list. The State government passing Kannada Language Learning Bill, 2015 , which seeks to provide primary education (standard I to V) in the child’s mother tongue or in Kannada, may not get constitutional validity.”
Lauding Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education Kimmane Ratnakar, Prof K S Nisar Ahmed said “Kannada should be medium of instruction from first to fifth standard. There was also a need to create a Kannada ambience and ensure that Kannada was taught in schools. At the same time, English should not be neglected, because it is a globally accepted language and helps an individual to gain employment.”
“Prominence should be given to Kannada at the school level, because one can not go and learn Kannada in England. All the states should pass a language policy bill to make state language as a medium of instruction and then get approval from the Centre,” he said.
The writer advised the IT and BT companies to give preference to those students who have studied in Kannada medium while selecting for employment.
Earlier, Prof De Javare Gowda said that teaching, research and publications are part of an university activities. Teachers should disseminate knowledge.
Prof Gowda said that knowledge is power. It was only through knowledge that a country can progress. Calling upon the people to cultivate the habit of reading, the litterateur said that reading habits help in gaining knowledge. The reading habit also help in developing writing skills.
The activities of Prasaranga should be strengthened in the university. The medical universities which do not have a separate publication wings are equal to lazy people.
“In 1934, during a convention at Oxford University, Prasaranga of Mysore University was referred as a Mysore University model.”
Prof Nisar Ahmed said that it was Kuvempu who gave a new lease of life to Prasaranga of Mysore University.
Mangalore University Vice Chancellor Prof K Byrappa said that as a part of the silver jubilee celebrations, it has been decided to publish at least 25 books. In the first phase, six books were released on the occasion. They are “Yakshagana sthithigathi” by Dr M Prabhakar Joshi, “Balipa gana yana” by Dr Nagaveni Manchi, “Yakshagana Prasanga Samputa” by Dr Padekallu Vishnu Bhat, “Adbhutha America” by Dr H M Nagaraju, “Shabda seemeya aache” by Poornima Suresh and “Karavali Mahaneeyara baduku—saadhane.” The Prasaranga has already published 121 publications including three research series publication and 62 textbook series publications in Kannada and five in Sanskrit, so far.