scholarly journals An Analysis of Medium of Instruction Policies in the Education System of Pakistan with Specific Reference to English Medium Education

sjesr ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 370-382
Author(s):  
Sadia Asif ◽  
Imran Afzal ◽  
Rahat Bashir

A critical examination of the trends, issues, and challenges in policy and practice of English language education in Pakistan is the main concern of this paper. This is done first by describing the practice of teaching English in varied instructional situations. Second, the paper historically reviews the language education policies since Pakistan’s independence in 1947. Third, the consequences of using English as the medium of instruction are discussed. A longitudinal large scale study is done to highlight the fact that English as medium of instruction at primary school level can distort the teaching and learning activities for students and teachers in rural areas of Pakistan and student drop-out rate can even get higher in those areas. The data was collected from the interviews of twenty teachers working in government and semi government schools at primary level. Based on the information obtained from the target participants, teaching at the same level but in different schools, the author argues that mother tongue education at the primary level is the most appropriate method to enhance the educational performance of students and a positive approach to bilingual education must be taken to resolve the challenges associated with the medium of instruction policies in the education system of Pakistan. Moreover, the data also shows that adopting English as a medium of instruction in Public schools may lead to low motivation level among students and it can hinder the development of English as a second language among learners. Furthermore, a difference in home language and school language may also hamper development and concepts formation in students at school level. Therefore, it is recommended that before implementing any language as medium of instruction at school level, one must review the history of Pakistani education system and must keep in mind the linguistic differences of the society and unavailability of resources is also a major hindrance in implementation of any language policy.  The results of this study confirm that the pedagogical effectiveness could only be achieved through the mother tongue and provides clear evidence for the usage of native languages as a medium of education in schools.

Author(s):  
Agnieszka Świętek ◽  
Wiktor Osuch

Education in regional geography in Poland takes place at public schools from the earliest educational stages and is compulsory until young people reach the age of adulthood. Reforms of the Polish education system, resulting in changes in the core curriculum of general education, likewise resulted in changes in the concept of education in the field of regional geography. The subject of the authors’ article is education in regional geography in the Polish education system at various educational stages. The authors’ analysis has two research goals. The first concerns changes in the education of regional geography at Polish schools; here the analysis and evaluation of the current content of education in the field of regional geography are offered. The second one is the study of the model of regional geography education in geographical studies in Poland on the example of the geographyat the Pedagogical University of Cracow. Although elements of education about one’s own region already appear in a kindergarten, they are most strongly implemented at a primary school in the form of educational paths, e.g. “Regional education – cultural heritage in the region”, and at a lower-secondary school (gymnasium) during geography classes. Owing to the current education reform, liquidating gymnasium (a lower secondary school level) and re-introducing the division of public schools into an 8-year primary school and a longer secondary school, the concept of education in regional education has inevitably changed. Currently, it is implemented in accordance with a multidisciplinary model of education consisting in weaving the content of regional education into the core curricula of various school subjects, and thus building the image of the whole region by means of viewing from different perspectives and inevitable cooperation of teachers of diverse subjects. Invariably, however, content in the field of regional geography is carried out at a primary and secondary school during geography classes. At university level, selected students – in geographical studies – receive a regional geography training. As an appropriate example one can offer A. Świętek’s original classes in “Regional Education” for geography students of a teaching specialty consisting of students designing and completing an educational trail in the area of Nowa Huta in Cracow.


2019 ◽  
Vol IV (I) ◽  
pp. 384-388
Author(s):  
Muhammad Ali Shaikh ◽  
Mahboob Ali Deraj ◽  
Zahid Hussain Sahito

The purpose of this research study was to review the expected role and responsibilities to be played by headteachers and done in reality at the primary school level in District Shaheed Benazirabad. It has been observed that headteachers in public schools at the primary level are not performing as per the need of the time. For the purpose, a tailor-made questionnaire was distributed among randomly selected headteachers. The quantitative research approach was used to solve the query. The results indicate the lenient approach of headteachers towards their duties.


Author(s):  
Oksana RUDA

The activity of the Jewish party «Mizrachi» in the 20s and the 30s of the 20th century, aimed at developing private Jewish schooling with Hebrew as the medium of instruction, is analyzed. In interwar Poland, Jewish students were deprived of the opportunity to receive primary education in public schools in the mother tongue as the medium of instruction, as government officials only partially implemented the Little Treaty of Versailles of 1919. The development of Jewish schooling was also complicated by the Polonization policy, the cultural and linguistic heterogeneity of Poland's Jews. Polish-speaking «szabasówka», who implemented a nationwide program of educating Jewish students in the spirit of loyalty to the government, facilitated their assimilation. That part of the Jewish community, which perceived these schools as an assimilation factor, actively participated in expanding the network of private Jewish schools with Yiddish or Hebrew mediums of instruction. An important part in the development of such religious and national educational institutions took the Mizrachi party, whose program principles combined the Jewish religious tradition with activities aimed at forming a Jewish state in Palestine. The author examines the activities of the Jewish cultural and educational societies «Jabne» and «Micyjon tejce Tora», which were cared for by «Mizrachi». The societies took part in establishing preschools, primary and secondary schools, teachers' seminaries, evening courses, public universities, reading clubs, libraries, and more. Both Judaic and secular subjects were taught in these educational institutions. Paying due attention to the teaching of Hebrew, Jewish literature, and Jewish history in schools helped preserve Jewish students' national identity. Keywords «Mizrachi» political party, Poland, cultural and educational societies, religious and national schools, Hebrew, Yiddish.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-89
Author(s):  
Ruchira Das

Olchiki is the indigenous script of Santals, a dominant tribal community of West Bengal, formulated to promote and represent ‘adi’ cultural heritage and traditions in their mother tongue Santali. The script was recognised by the Government of West Bengal in 1978 and was introduced at the primary level of education. However, there have been contestations around its appropriateness as the medium of instruction for the migrant tribal community in the emerging context of the city and globalisation. These discourses have led to the formation of two distinct groups—those who support the introduction of Santali language in Olchiki as a means to formal education and those who resist usage of its script for schooling. In my article, I will present these conflicting views prevailing among the migrant Santals of a settlement called Santragachi, in Kolkata.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cher Leng Lee

AbstractSingapore’s multilingual and multicultural sociolinguistic ecology probably makes it one of the best places in the world to nurture strong bilingualism. However, English is fast becoming the mother tongue of Singapore Chinese children. This is due to the fact that over the years of building the country’s economy, English has taken over as the medium of instruction in schools and the working language of the society, as well as the main language spoken in the homes. This paper examines the Chinese language education in Singapore preschools and explains how a change in preschool education policy can help children lay a better foundation for bilingualism, giving them a higher chance of success in later years (Yip and Matthews 2007.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. K. B. Chothani

The basic aim of present investigation is that to study the influence of role of medium in the development of child’s personality by academic stress and adjustment scales. Present study was undertaken to examine the level of academic stress and adjustment among Gujarati medium and English Medium School Students. For that purpose 120 students of class IX and X were selected randomly from different schools out of which 60 were taken from Gujarati medium school and the remaining 60 were taken from English Medium School. Abha Rani Bisht (BBS) scale for measuring academic stress was used to see the level of stress and Sinha and Singh Adjustment Inventory for school students was used to examine level of adjustment among the students. The data were analyzed by ‘t’ test and ANOVA were applied to check the difference in significance between the entire two mediums of instruction. The main and internal effect has been discussed.  Results indicated that level of academic stress was significantly higher among the English Medium school students where as Gujarati medium school students were significantly better in terms of their level of adjustment. The Medium of Mother tongue per both boys and girls adjustment level are high and academic stress level low than other medium of instruction at school level.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 43-54
Author(s):  
Krishna Kumar Khatri

 English as medium of Instruction (EMI) has been a genuine issue of discussion in today’s pedagogical field among the concerned stakeholders including teachers. In this concern, a mixed method study entitled ‘Attitudes of teachers towards using English as Medium of Instruction (EMI) in Public Secondary Schools of Ilam was attempted to explore the teachers’ attitude towards using EMI in the public schools and challenges faced by them in course of adopting EMI. For this, twenty secondary level English teachers were accessed purposively and data were collected using questionnaire consisting of both close ended and open-ended questions. The results of the study revealed that teachers of public schools were found aware of the basic concept of the notion of English as a medium of instruction. They were found positive in implementing EMI in conducting their daily teaching and learning activities. The study also showed that teachers of secondary level have been facing different challenges in adopting EMI in the classroom like students’ weak exposure to English, mother tongue interference, unresourceful schools and linguistic diversity in the class. The study recommended that there should be conducive and encouraging environment in the public schools for the teachers for adopting EMI in the class. The schools should be made resourceful and well equipped with modern technologies. Moreover, the teachers should be made sound with pedagogically and professionally.


sjesr ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 257-261
Author(s):  
Shah Nawaz Khan ◽  
Dr. Abdul Karim Khan ◽  
Dr. Ihsan Ullah Khan

No doubt, the importance of English cannot be denied, but at the same time, mother tongue has also due importance concerning one's culture and understanding basic concepts at schools at primary level. This paper is an attempt to prove the importance of mother tongue as a medium of instruction at the primary level in District Bannu. The data were collected from students’ focal groups of fifty classrooms from ten schools. Two questions were asked in each subject from the focus groups to check their concept of the subject. Similarly, among the teachers, thirty respondents were interviewed in the Parents-Teachers Meeting (PTM) to find out their views about the efficacy of mother tongue instructions at the primary level. In this connection, parents were also interviewed. The results showed that among the students whose concept was clear, eighty percent of students were those who were taught in their mother tongue whereas twenty percent of students were those who were taught in English. Again, among the thirty teachers, eighty-five percent felt comfortable with teaching in the mother tongue whereas fifteen percent of teachers showed positive inclination towards teaching in a second language. Lastly, parents also felt at ease with the mother tongue instructions as they conveyed that their children go to school with zeal. Thus, mother tongue instruction proved helpful at the primary level. This study will also prove helpful to other researchers in the future for conducting similar studies in other districts.


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 84 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Luis Ramírez-Romero ◽  
Peter Sayer

The national English program in Mexico was formally launched in 2009. The new program supplanted various state programs, and aimed to create a coherent, uniform curriculum that extended English instruction to all public school students across the country. The article describes the development, evolution, and changes as the program was piloted and implemented. The authors synthesize various sources to identify the accomplishments of the program and the challenges that remain. They argue that a main concern, from a policy perspective, is that the program has not been conceptualized as part of a broader coherent language education policy, and that the program has been implemented not as an education policy, but as a series administrative and fiscal actions. Hence, while the program has succeeded in expanding access to English in public schools, it has not had continuity and has been characterized by inconsistency and change. 


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