Education panel for English-medium education in SDMC schools

An SDMC panel today proposed to impart English-medium education in its schools, from nursery and onwards, a move that seeks to counter competition from the Delhi government schools. 

The Education Committee of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) under the chairmanship of Sunil Sahdev discussed the matter, among a number of issues related to primary schools. 

Sahdev said the proposal has been made "keeping in mind the demand from parents and advancement of technology and education system in fast-changing times". 

"All SDMC schools should be allowed to have one English- medium section in the school. 

"The schools which at present do not having provision for it, will start English medium from nursery and one section from Class-I," Sahdev was quoted as saying in an SDMC statement. 

In future, if there is an increase in demand for English medium education and number of students is more for the same, the number of sections may be be increased for such classes, the SDMC said. 

"The prescribed admission rules and regulations will be followed. Children who have studied in nursery class in SDMC schools will be considered for admission in class-I. 

"It is obvious that progressively this English medium section of class-I will reach upto class-V in five years. Subjects in each class of English-medium will be taught as per the practice followed by the Directorates of Education of Delhi government, in their schools," the civic body said. 

Sahdev said the SDMC's zonal heads had received request from parents for starting English-medium education in their schools. 

The Delhi government schools are also providing primary education through its Sarvodaya Vidyalayas and providing English-medium education in its primary classes, the SDMC said. 

"These (Sarvodaya) schools are in the vicinity of municipal schools and therefore attract parents to enrol their children in those schools. 

"Also, theres is intense competition and, parents are also very keen to get their children educated in an English- medium school," the committee said. 

The SDMC said, that during the time of the erstwhile unified municipal corporation of Delhi (MCD), English-medium sections were started in class-I of a few selected schools. "However, number of such schools under the SDMC is very low," it said