INDIA should adopt English from year one of primary school, according to the National Knowledge Commission of India. The high-level advisory body, which has identified English as a key determinant of access to higher education, has called upon India’s prime minister to take up the issue.
Not all states in the country agree with this view, however. In 2006, more than 100,000 English speaking children in Bangalore were asked by the government to move to schools offering lessons exclusively in the local language of kanartaka.
Across the country, movements to emphasize indigenous languages have scored successes, most notably in the changed names of some big cities. Bombay is now Mumbai and Calcutta has become Kolkata. But nationwide, the desire for English education is widespread. It is seen as a doorway to better employment opportunities, especially in the burgeoning IT industry, which requires employees to communicate with customers in English-speaking countries.
