Hyderabad: The Telangana Government's Education Commission (TGEC) recently organized a high-profile seminar focusing on the use of English as the primary language of instruction in government schools. The event aimed to promote spoken English skills among students. This comes shortly after the Commission officially rejected the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
However, many education experts and university scholars believe the seminar offered little that was new. Critics argue that the Commission is recycling old ideas rather than bringing forward innovative solutions. Some insiders said TGEC officials praised themselves for highlighting English as a necessary step to “save” the state’s education system.
A senior linguistics professor from the University of English and Foreign Languages (UEFL), speaking anonymously, noted that English-medium education has existed in India for over 200 years. He pointed to Raja Rammohan Roy, who in 1823 advocated for English education over Sanskrit learning. Roy also helped establish the Hindu College in Calcutta in 1817, which became a major center for English and Western education. Later, Thomas Macaulay’s 1835 “Minute on Education” formally introduced English instruction under British rule.
Despite this history, not all thinkers supported English as the main teaching language. A former Vice-Chancellor of one of Telangana’s oldest universities reminded that Rabindranath Tagore opposed English as the medium of instruction. He believed it should be taught only as a second language during early education.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar also raised concerns. He warned that exposing students—especially from underprivileged backgrounds—to a foreign language too early can harm learning. He supported teaching English at higher levels to help students succeed in national and global spaces, but not in early schooling.
Experts from Osmania, Andhra, and Sri Venkateswara Universities pointed out that the role of language in education has been studied worldwide for decades. Seminars and research papers have examined how colonial powers used English education to dominate cultures, erode indigenous knowledge, and push Western values. These discussions have involved scholars from many disciplines—linguistics, child psychology, cognitive science, philosophy, and even medicine.
Over the last 150 years, thousands of peer-reviewed studies have covered the pros and cons of different languages of instruction. Many speakers at the TGEC seminar repeated ideas already well-documented in academic literature, especially those related to how language affects learning in science, technology, and humanities.
Faculty members reviewing the seminar outcomes said the event didn’t offer any fresh perspectives. Most of the points raised had already been thoroughly explored by researchers over the past 50 years.
While the TGEC continues to push for English as a central part of education reform, experts stress the need for more thoughtful and research-backed approaches that consider both local languages and global opportunities.
