Andhra Pradesh makes 'English Medium' compulsory in all colleges

Of over 2.62 lakh students who have taken admissions in degree colleges across Andhra Pradesh in 2020-21, 65,981 are in Telugu-medium institutes.

The Andhra Pradesh Government on June 15, 2021, declared their decision to make ‘English Medium’ compulsory in all the government, private aided and unaided degree colleges in the state. Talking about the implementation of the decision, the Chief Minister’s office informed that the direction to include English as a medium of instruction will come into effect from the academic year 2021-22. Earlier this year, the University of Cambridge and the Urban Development Department of Andhra Pradesh joined hands by signing an agreement to improve English proficiency. According to the agreement on which the partnership took place, the University of Cambridge will provide training to teachers and students under the Municipal Department, in order to improve English language proficiency. Of over 2.62 lakh students who have taken admissions in degree colleges across the state in 2020-21, 65,981 are in Telugu-medium institutes.

Out of the total 65,981 Telugu-medium students, 24,007 are pursuing BA 16,925 BComm and 24,960 BSc. The decision to make English the language of instruction is bound to immensely benefit these students, the minister said.

Talking about the advantages of imparting education via the English language, in 2020, the Andhra Pradesh Government also told the Supreme Court that providing education through the English medium would help the poor and marginalised students in bringing better opportunities for career growth.

In April 2020, the High Court had set aside the order for government schools to convert the medium of instruction from Telugu to English. The state government told a Bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde that the Andhra Pradesh High Court order, which stayed the implementation of such plan for government-run Telugu medium schools, would limit the prospects of the students hailing from weaker strata of society.

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