In experiments with language,spoken English is the latest

State School Education Minister Bratya Basu said,“Because of faulty experiments with English education,many generations in the state found it difficult to get jobs where communicating in English is important. We don’t want our future generations to face such humiliations.”

“The introduction of spoken English is a welcome step,” said leading academician Sunando Sanyal. Sanyal has been part of various committees formed for re-introduction of English.

However,some intellectuals have doubted the efficacy of the new system in the absence of compulsory exams for children up to VIII.

“The step is just to show the governments’ keenness on introducing English education. The previous government had already introduced English in primary classes,” says Kartick Saha of West Bengal Primary Teachers’ Association,an SUCI-affiliated primary teachers’ body that had strongly opposed the ban on English teaching.

The opposition finds the proposal for introduction of spoken English in Class I useless as they say the Left had already started English teaching from class I about eight years ago.

“The government wants class I students speak English when they have problem in speaking even their mother-tongue properly,” said Kanti Biswas,former state Education Minister. He also said there was a a paucity of teachers who can teach spoken English effectively in the state.