Raju, who runs a tea stall in Sainadhapuram of Hyderabad, had to enroll his 4-year-old son Sai Saran into a nearby private English medium school. He shared with The Hans India how a disagreement with his wife led to a three-month struggle before the school finally accepted his son into LKG.
Originally from a rural village in Andhra Pradesh, Raju moved to Hyderabad for work. He and his wife, who both studied in Telugu medium schools, wanted their son to attend an English medium school. However, a misunderstanding over the translation of ‘Paala Pitta’ (blue jay) caused tension in their household.
His wife, who had been teaching their son at home, mistakenly translated ‘Paala Pitta’ as ‘Milk bird’ in English. When a private teacher corrected her, she felt embarrassed and insisted on enrolling Sai Saran in an English medium school.
Raju noticed that his wife’s lack of English proficiency affected her self-esteem. He appreciated her support in running their tea stall and wanted to boost her confidence. Despite this, they faced challenges due to the language barrier.
A psychologist from Andhra University explained that forcing children to learn in a language different from their home environment can cause cognitive dissonance. While children can learn multiple languages at a young age, it should not come at the expense of their mother tongue.
The expert also highlighted how English words have roots in other languages, and emphasized the importance of teaching children in their mother tongue during their early education. This recommendation aligns with the National Education Policy-2020, which stresses the significance of mother tongue instruction for young learners.
