4 months on, communication labs for schools yet to take shape

VELLORE: The government proposal to start English language communication labs in Higher Secondary schools to enable students to master the language and amp up their employment chances seems to be a non-starter as there has been no action despite the announcement in early August this year, sources said.

When asked about this, teachers at government HSS schools in Vellore said “We heard about the proposal after which there has been no move to start such labs.”

However, teachers cutting across school divisions were of the unified view that the labs or communication classes should be started at the middle school level to enable students to develop proficiency by the time they reach the end of their scholastic career.

TN vocational teachers Kazhagam president SN Janardhanan said “Many issues need to be ironed out before starting such labs. This includes who will handle the labs? Will it be English teachers in the school or government-appointed special staff? If English teachers are to handle it, what about their existing workload?”

While the use of headphone linked computer systems will help individual students understand the nuances of the language, “An easier way is to allot one class daily at the middle school level where students should be encouraged to talk on various subjects in English so that they become used to the language” said a communication trainer in Vellore town seeking anonymity.

“This is important as Tamilians think in Tamil and talk in English. So, students need to understand English first and this will succeed only if they start from the middle school level” he added.

“We find that even students at the plus two level who have a knowledge of English find it difficult to communicate in it due to lack of proficiency,” said RS Aziz Kumar, TN PG teachers association Vellore district secretary.