With English giving India a huge advantage in the global economy, it is only natural that more Indians are opting to educate their kids in English-medium schools। What may come as a surprise is the pace at which this is happening. Nationwide enrolment in the upper primary section of English-medium schools rose 74% during 2003-2006.
In actual figures, this is a rise from 54.7 lakh students in 2003 to 95.1 lakh in 2006. Data collected by the National University for Education Planning and Administration (NUEPA) show that over the same period, enrolment in Hindi (the dominant language) medium schools grew by 24% from 6.3 crore to 7.8 crore. The growth of English is more in non-Hindi speaking states, mostly the southern states which account for over 60% of the students enrolled in English-medium schools in the three-year period। Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, in that order, account for the highest jump in numbers in enrolment.
TN, which had the largest number of students enrolled in English-medium schools in 2003, was outstripped by AP by 2006. In AP, the number of students enrolled in English-medium schools nearly doubled in this period from 10.6 lakh to 20.9 lakh. In TN, the numbers jumped from 14.7 lakh to 17.2 lakh; and in Maharashtra, from 10.6 lakh to 11.9 lakh. English-medium also accounts for well over 90% of the enrolment in the north-eastern states. However, up north, the growth of English has been sluggish except in Punjab and Gujarat where enrolment went up by over 93,000 and 60,000 respectively — not so high when compared with the southern states Data collected by the National University for Education Planning and Administration (NUEPA) show that over the same period, enrolment in Hindi (the dominant language) medium schools grew by 24% from 6।3 crore to 7।8 crore। The spurt in schooling in English also means it is now the third biggest medium of instruction for upper primary students after Hindi and Marathi. In 2003, there were more students enrolled in Tamil medium, Telugu medium and Kannada medium schools than in those that taught in English.
This would be the case for Bengali too but since the figures for Bengal have been dismissed by NUEPA as incomplete, a comparison is not possible. In 2006, over half the students at the upper primary level in the country were enrolled in Hindi medium schools, about 8% in Marathi medium schools, and over 6% in those that teach in English. Clearly, the growth of Hindi is mostly confined to the Hindi-speaking states, while English is growing across all states. The share of regional languages too has remained more or less the same or declined, mainly due to more people opting to educate their children in English medium.
Among regional languages, the biggest fall in enrolment among the southern states happened in the Telugu medium in AP. Telugu medium enrolment in the state fell from 83% of the total enrolment in 2003-04 to 78% in 2006, even though it has increased by 6.78 lakh in terms of numbers. In TN, enrolment in Tamil medium has dipped from 82% of overall enrolment to 81%, though in absolute numbers it has gone up by 60,000. In Kerala, the proportion of enrolment in Malayalam has fallen from 90% to 87% and the numbers too have fallen. Then again, overall enrolment in the state has fallen by over 3 lakh. In Kerala, both in numbers as well as in terms of proportion of overall enrolment, students opting for English medium have increased, even though the overall enrolment in the state has decreased. The proportion increased from 7% to 10% and in numbers it has gone up to 3.2 lakh from 2.4 lakh. Karnataka is the only state where the number of students who enrolled for English medium went down.
But then, the overall enrolment in the state has come down by 9.6 lakh. In terms of the percentage of total enrolment in the state, enrolment in English medium has increased from 16% to 18%. In Arunachal, Sikkim and Nagaland, enrolment in English medium is touching nearly 99% in the case of the first two states. In Manipur and Goa, nearly half the students up to upper primary are enrolled in English medium and over half of them are in English medium in Chandigarh. In the north, Punjab and HP have recorded an increase in enrolment in English medium by four percentage points each, and in absolute numbers the increase has been over 93,000 in Punjab. Other than these two states and Gujarat with an increase of over 60,000 students, no other northern state has seen any substantial rise in enrolment in English. On the whole, the Hindi heartland’s contribution to the rise in enrolment in English medium schools is negligible.
Among the large Hindi-speaking states like UP, Bihar, MP and Rajasthan, only MP and Rajasthan have seen an increase of more than 30,000 in enrolment. In the other states, it has gone up by just a few thousands. In the case of enrolment in Hindi medium, the Hindi-speaking states have witnessed a substantial increase in terms of numbers, but the percentage of Hindi enrolment in the overall enrolment in these states has remained more or less the same. All three states that have seen an increase in enrolment in English medium - HP, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh — have recorded a fall in proportion of enrolment in Hindi medium enrolment. In fact, in HP, even in terms of numbers the enrolment in Hindi medium has fallen by nearly 24,000 and by proportion it has fallen from 94% to 90%.
In actual figures, this is a rise from 54.7 lakh students in 2003 to 95.1 lakh in 2006. Data collected by the National University for Education Planning and Administration (NUEPA) show that over the same period, enrolment in Hindi (the dominant language) medium schools grew by 24% from 6.3 crore to 7.8 crore. The growth of English is more in non-Hindi speaking states, mostly the southern states which account for over 60% of the students enrolled in English-medium schools in the three-year period। Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, in that order, account for the highest jump in numbers in enrolment.
TN, which had the largest number of students enrolled in English-medium schools in 2003, was outstripped by AP by 2006. In AP, the number of students enrolled in English-medium schools nearly doubled in this period from 10.6 lakh to 20.9 lakh. In TN, the numbers jumped from 14.7 lakh to 17.2 lakh; and in Maharashtra, from 10.6 lakh to 11.9 lakh. English-medium also accounts for well over 90% of the enrolment in the north-eastern states. However, up north, the growth of English has been sluggish except in Punjab and Gujarat where enrolment went up by over 93,000 and 60,000 respectively — not so high when compared with the southern states Data collected by the National University for Education Planning and Administration (NUEPA) show that over the same period, enrolment in Hindi (the dominant language) medium schools grew by 24% from 6।3 crore to 7।8 crore। The spurt in schooling in English also means it is now the third biggest medium of instruction for upper primary students after Hindi and Marathi. In 2003, there were more students enrolled in Tamil medium, Telugu medium and Kannada medium schools than in those that taught in English.
This would be the case for Bengali too but since the figures for Bengal have been dismissed by NUEPA as incomplete, a comparison is not possible. In 2006, over half the students at the upper primary level in the country were enrolled in Hindi medium schools, about 8% in Marathi medium schools, and over 6% in those that teach in English. Clearly, the growth of Hindi is mostly confined to the Hindi-speaking states, while English is growing across all states. The share of regional languages too has remained more or less the same or declined, mainly due to more people opting to educate their children in English medium.
Among regional languages, the biggest fall in enrolment among the southern states happened in the Telugu medium in AP. Telugu medium enrolment in the state fell from 83% of the total enrolment in 2003-04 to 78% in 2006, even though it has increased by 6.78 lakh in terms of numbers. In TN, enrolment in Tamil medium has dipped from 82% of overall enrolment to 81%, though in absolute numbers it has gone up by 60,000. In Kerala, the proportion of enrolment in Malayalam has fallen from 90% to 87% and the numbers too have fallen. Then again, overall enrolment in the state has fallen by over 3 lakh. In Kerala, both in numbers as well as in terms of proportion of overall enrolment, students opting for English medium have increased, even though the overall enrolment in the state has decreased. The proportion increased from 7% to 10% and in numbers it has gone up to 3.2 lakh from 2.4 lakh. Karnataka is the only state where the number of students who enrolled for English medium went down.
But then, the overall enrolment in the state has come down by 9.6 lakh. In terms of the percentage of total enrolment in the state, enrolment in English medium has increased from 16% to 18%. In Arunachal, Sikkim and Nagaland, enrolment in English medium is touching nearly 99% in the case of the first two states. In Manipur and Goa, nearly half the students up to upper primary are enrolled in English medium and over half of them are in English medium in Chandigarh. In the north, Punjab and HP have recorded an increase in enrolment in English medium by four percentage points each, and in absolute numbers the increase has been over 93,000 in Punjab. Other than these two states and Gujarat with an increase of over 60,000 students, no other northern state has seen any substantial rise in enrolment in English. On the whole, the Hindi heartland’s contribution to the rise in enrolment in English medium schools is negligible.
Among the large Hindi-speaking states like UP, Bihar, MP and Rajasthan, only MP and Rajasthan have seen an increase of more than 30,000 in enrolment. In the other states, it has gone up by just a few thousands. In the case of enrolment in Hindi medium, the Hindi-speaking states have witnessed a substantial increase in terms of numbers, but the percentage of Hindi enrolment in the overall enrolment in these states has remained more or less the same. All three states that have seen an increase in enrolment in English medium - HP, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh — have recorded a fall in proportion of enrolment in Hindi medium enrolment. In fact, in HP, even in terms of numbers the enrolment in Hindi medium has fallen by nearly 24,000 and by proportion it has fallen from 94% to 90%.
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