At a time when language row is at the centre of school education, the education department is launching Project English to make government school students competitive.
The department recently signed an MoU with Bengaluru-based Lit Skills Learning to take up a pilot project for 120 students from Classes VI to VIII in schools in the KRS cluster of Srirangapatna taluk and for 30 English and Science teachers, handling Classes V to IX for the academic year 2022- 23. The project will be implemented in cooperation with the Mandya DDPI.
“It will be officially launched on July 19. Based on its success and the outcome of what children have learnt, it will be extended. The aim is to bring all government schools under the project and make students well versed in English. It is to build confidence among students and break their reluctance. The gap between government and private school students is huge. That needs to be filled,” said a senior official of the education department.
Karthik Narayanan, Founder-CEO of Lit Skills, who is heading the project, said the vision and mission of the project is to teach and train teachers on innovative methodologies of teaching, capacity building, life skills programme and communicative skills. He added that the special focus will be on teaching students English skills and science enrichment programmes, using the 21st-century learning skills.
Legendary scientist and Padma Bhushan awardee Nambi Narayanan has also welcomed the project and shown interest in being its brand ambassador, Karthik said, and added that school kids, especially from rural areas, should be well versed in English and science skills to be globally competitive to be successful. "Nambi Narayanan feels implementing Project English in rural schools will add a great meaning as over eight crore students graduate every year, but only a few are fit to be hired," he added.
