Teachers say reduced training period has limited their ability to grasp essential aspects of English teaching
The state government’s push to strengthen bilingual education in government schools has run into criticism, with teachers alleging that the training meant to improve their English teaching skills has been abruptly curtailed. What was planned as a comprehensive 15-day programme has, in most cases, been reduced to just five days, drawing concern over its effectiveness.
As part of its bilingual education policy, the government had decided to train around 1.55 lakh teachers through the Department of State Educational Research and Training (DSERT) to enable them to teach English alongside the mother tongue for students from Classes 1 to 5. However, with a large number of teachers deployed for the ongoing national census work, the duration of the training has been significantly shortened.
Teachers say the reduced training period has limited their ability to grasp essential aspects of English teaching. The programme was expected to focus on simplifying English instruction for rural students, improving communication skills, and building a foundation in basic grammar. Instead, in many places, teachers were handed training manuals and given only a brief orientation.
The situation has raised questions about whether teachers, already burdened with census duties and SSLC evaluation work, are adequately prepared to teach English effectively. In some districts, high school teachers have been appointed as resource persons, but concerns remain over the overall quality and depth of the training. Educators point out that teaching English in rural areas comes with multiple challenges.
Many teachers find it difficult to adopt simple and engaging teaching methods, and there is a lack of training in activity-based learning. Addressing the diverse learning needs of students, especially those who are academically behind, requires more sustained and practical training than what has been provided.
There are also concerns about the complexity of the training materials. Teachers, particularly those who primarily teach in Kannada, may struggle to translate and simplify the content for young learners. Observers say the real impact will be seen only when classroom teaching begins.
Chairman of the Kannada Development Authority, Purushottama Bilimale said, “There is a need to appoint teachers with a strong background in English. I warn that without qualified teachers, the quality of language learning among students could suffer.” Education expert Prof VP Niranjanaradhya echoed similar concerns, stating that the government should prioritise recruiting capable English teachers before rolling out such programmes. Effective teaching, he said, depends heavily on teacher competence.
Defending the initiative, DSERT Director Gopalakrishna said that the training was designed to support English teaching from the next academic year and that comprehensive information had been provided through training kits. He added that resource persons had conducted sessions at district centres.
