English is a barrier in our education........ by Shoaib Kiani

In my age fellows, I felt a craze about learning English. It became a symbol of success. Not only students, every institution, teachers, parents, Government everyone is dying to teach and learn English. You cannot pass any interview if you cant speak English fluently. You will find mistakes more than words in this article still I m writing in English because for my better future I have to learn it. Question is why we all are crazy to learn English? So many reasons you can find in this regard. But I will mention them in new way.

Importance of English was felt in our region first time when East India Company entered in Subcontinent. Initially British came here for trade. Company provided Jobs to poor Indians. Communication with British employers was important so they felt to speak English. After some time Great Britain became more powerful and subcontinent was occupied by East India Company. Now Hindu and Muslim leaders told their followers how important English is. You can’t get jobs in government without learning English. Sir Sayed Ahmed Khan is an example of those leaders (I am not criticizing them). After Second World War, East India Company was unable to stay and rule on India they went back at 1947.They left huge problems for the people of Subcontinent "English" is one of them.In partitioned subcontinent (India and Pakistan). Urdu and Hindi became official languages in Pakistan and India respectively. But the Importance of English remained as it was. Six decades past away but still English is the most favorite thing.

You must be having a question in your mind that Why am I crying?

My mother tongue is “PAHARI” National Language is “URDU” I learned these two languages in my childhood. As I grew up I learned “Arabic” to read the Holy Quran. To pass the exams I learned “English” and still reading and writing every subject of my graduation in English. Can you imagine? A kid in Pakistan before passing Matriculation learns minimum four languages. How tough it is? Some times in graduation classes I do not understand what my teacher is saying.

In UK, USA and other English states a child starts speaking English as mother tongue, reads Religious books in English, All education in his mother tongue he do understand whatever his teacher say. So they are developed. English child do not have to learn Urdu if he is coming to Pakistan because his forefathers introduced English as the most useful language around the world.

You must be thinking that Kiani is mad, fundamentalist, nationalist or something. But believe me a child in Pakistan is facing English as a big barrier in learning something. If a child of class two reads a sentence “Apple contains Iron” he must has to translate it in Urdu then he will learn, “SAIB MAIN LOHA HOTA HAI” what will he learn? Nothing, he will just memorize it and will get A+ grade.

Imagine if Newton was a Pakistani scientist he presents his theories in Urdu then how tough it was for an American to understand it. Or if the Holy Quran was in Chinese then how tough it was for Muhammad (PBUH) to teach his Arabian Companions about Islam.

Various survey reports concluded that after Mandarin (Chinese), Urdu version of Hindustani Language is the second biggest language that is being spoken on the planet. This language is being spoken and understood by 1.5 Billion+ people. But still we are crazy to learn English. 

I conclude my whole writing in one question, “If English is Knowledge and key to success then Why American kids go to school?”

I have two solutions for this problem.

1-     Either we exclude English from our literature and translate everything in our own language

2-      Or make English our mother tongue.

 My dear friends must learn English if you are interested to go abroad but do not make it key to success. it is nothing more than a language. It is not excellence or knowledge.

I am doing Masters from Federal Urdu University Islamabad. Their motto is “Education in National Language”. Really amazing thought, but unfortunately they are teaching every subject in English. Because there is no complete course available in Urdu for any subject.It is not a only a theory of Nationalism but it is about our future.

Please for God sake think about the next generation and switch them to a single language. Otherwise they are going to learn fifth language “Mandarin (Chinese)” to read expiry dates on “TANDOORI NAAN” that  we are going to import from China.

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Please do comment.

Shoaib Kiani

xs2shebi@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/4shoaibkiani