I wrote about this subject sometime ago. I added a small piece in the end about my own school. Something in me wanted to write more about that ..
So, I went to this really posh school in my little town. I am from a small town in south Tamil Nadu, which is still very conservative.My school was the only CBSE school when I was growing up.Students from my school were considered haughty, because we went to school in pinafores, were friends with boys and were generally too modern :).I love my school to bits. They gave me a good education, a good foundation in the English language , analytical thinking etc.They encouraged us to take interest in theater,photography,arts, math ( :)) and what not!
The one thing I feel disappointed in my school is this- they instilled a sense of inferiority for anything to do with our own mother tongue. We were discouraged from reading Thamizh books and singing Thamizh songs was frowned upon. While being part of the daily choir( English songs) was encouraged, we never sang any Thamizh songs- except for Thai Vazhthu I think.For our school annual days, we used compete to be a part of the English dramas and English choir- only people who did not get selected for these went to Thamizh drama and Thamizh choir.
I feel bad that I grew up reading Shakespeare and John Milton- and never read Ponniyin Selvan. I still don't know much about Thamizh literature and Art, which is very shameful.
I just felt like ranting about this today... I see the same trend in many "private" school in Tamizh Nadu.
"Pala desam Muzhudum pesum Mozhigal Thamizh pol inithiduma?"
Count Dracula- Book Review
4 years ago
8 comments:
It's sad, but it's the fact.. learning and using the local language seems to be uncool these days. i don't understand why people can't give local languages the respect of it being a language - mothertongue or not.
hi... and now talking tamil like it's a foreign language is the trend. i studied in a convent, and though tamil was my 2nd lang, i sucked at it. if that had been the end of my exposure to tamil, then i would have really missed out on stuff. fortunately, working in a daily newspaper in chennai means reading tonnes of govt hand outs in tamil. that's when the love was kindled really. though tamil was always the first language at home. but seriously, can you blame your school? they probably did what they thought was best for your professional development. i can't thank them enough for that. of course there is this tiny bit of regret that i didn't enjoy the subject as much.
I cant read or write Tamil. And I am not really bothered.
See if would get my kids to learn Mandarin. Thats what will help them survive in the world. Not tamil.
Hi my first time here...
I also studied in a convent school and grew up singing hymns and english songs. I had never learnt any hindi songs till I went to an Army School where we had to sing a hindi bhajan everyday! It is then I realised that each school is an institution supported by a particular community - and they promote that community.
I have no regrets on learning hymns and going to the church - in fact that has made me more tolerant of other religions...besides English is a very important asset for our country. Having said that, we should take pride in our national language and mother tongue as well. I agree that is something that's missing from our upbringing now a days...
Hey
I agree!!
I realized it more when I was in Israel, people were not ashamed that their English was not so good,a s long as they were able to communicate the essential stuff.
I never learnt Tamil officially in school, but I am glad my Dad taught me to read and write over weekends.
The other thing is, I have seen so many 'tamil-medium' guys in my college, they struggled so much to understand subjects, although they picked up really fast.
Ideally, we would want everyone to be know the basics in Tamil and appreciate it, and be well versed in English as well, illaya?
hmmmm......
i dont think tamil was under-rated in our school...ther wer quiet a lot of tamil songs we sang during prayer..and nt just tamil..bt hindi,bengali and there was a sindhi song too.....bt the question being y tamil was second to english ,...bcos we chose a school that practices an english medium of communication...and i think its quiet normal ...bt if ur point is to insist tamil be given priority over english in an english medium school,i dont think its err....justified in calling the school an eng med....
btw did all tht discouraging reading tamil books and singing tamil songs happen???Ummm..yeah..there wer not many tamil books in the library..yes...
Well!I think the whole purpose was not to degrade tamil but to improve the standard of english language tht we speak and read...
and thtz probably one of those reasons why we have better eloquence than the others who have come from the so-calld-english-mediums...
@ Asha- exazzzzzzzztly! it happens only in India :)
@Umm Oviya-
yeah- i dint grow up reading any thamizh books ..:(
@ ram,
this is exactly the attitude that irritates me !
@Deeply Dip
I enjoyed all the English songs and hymns as well.. all I am saying is there has to be a balance..
@ SK,
athey than!you put it in a crisp and nice way :)
@ MK,
I guess to eah her opwn. I definitely feel that thamizh was underrated in our school. How many thamizh classic di you read in school? None!how can you treat your mother tongue on par with Hindi and Bengali?no I am not questioning why tamizh was second to english.. I understand that it was an English medium school and I stated so in my post as well- I know that our school gave me the basics in English language that I use and appreciate today.
I think you completely missed the point.
In our school , it was always frowned upon if youread Thamizh books( I remember I veruy paticular instance of Mrs.Q scolding one of the juniors in the school bus for reading a thamizh novel!).
You talk about better eloquence in English- what about our knowledge of our own mother tongue? If not anybody else, why dint the Thamizh teachers instill pride in us ?
Thats the PSBB - IIT combination you so hate.
P.S. Ram is Ok.
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