Few days back I was watching a show on NDTV and I came to know about this issue. Let me share it with you.
Garima Devi, a girl from poor family, has scored 97.6% in board exams (10th Standard, CBSC). Just like other students she also had a dream of getting admission in DPS (Delhi Public School), a top notch school of India. But she was simply rejected, reason: “lack of fluency in English”. The point to be noted here is, the interview was in English only. I too agree that her English is not up to the mark, but is it fair? Rejecting the admission request just because of this reason!!!!
I agree that English is must for in this competitive world. I am not denying the fact that India has earned the global image because of her 3rd largest English speaking population, after USA and UK. But does it mean that we should consider only English speaking people for better opportunities? Shouldn’t we give a chance of improvement to others? Shouldn’t we create a good learning environment for such people? Have you ever thought; if we will keep on giving a special treatment to English speaking people what will happen to majority of the Indian students (yes we have hardly 33% English Medium schools in India)?
This is not about only one Garima or only about DPS. Thousands of people are not getting deserved opportunities just because of their “not so good” English. You can observe that if you want. Go to any of the Café coffee day counter, or Barista, or any pizza counter, or leading restaurant or any multiplex, you will find people talking in English only. Because “it is in”. If you don’t know English you are considered as a backward guy. Non-English speaking people are considered as “Desi” at such places. The question I want to ask here is “Why is so?”, “Do English-speaking-people have some extra brain?”, “If a person is good at analytic skills and managing tings but (s)he is not good at English, does it mean that (s)he is not intelligent and (s)he has no rights to dream about good school/college/job? ”
Coming back to Garima, she already has got her admission in some other school. She is not happy with DPS and wants to achieve betters marks in 12th Standard than any of the DPS students and show them that she has the real caliber and English is not everything. During the show itself principal of IPS (Indian Public School), Dehradun called in NDTV stidio and he was offered admission in two years residential course with full scholarship, but she couldn’t accept it as she has already taken admission in some other school. I think DPS must think over their decision.
Any way Garima, let me congratulate you for your mind blowing result and all the best for your future. May god bless you!!!
20 comments:
My sympathies with Garima. Agreed english is the language which makes the world go round and round but it would be so boring if the world were english. It's stupid to discriminate against somebody just becoz they are not proficient in English. In this case I think it is DPS' loss
Hey Dhaval. Garima sure deserves all the opportunity that others have. I may however see this issue not from the eyes of one student but as a national problem. We have to initiate that all school emphasis on English.
This is not because all the Pizza Hut guys speak English but Eng is a globally accepted business language and being good in all others things is just great but you also need to know English..
Having said tht there are so many Chinese people here who do their Phd's not knoing much of English...We ought to give everyone the same chance and also emphasise to tfil lthe gaps not because English is IN, because English is a medium language, a global language...Today many are learning French n Spanish n Chinese because of the business signifance they have in the growing economy....Denying admission is not the solution but to develop is it..Wht else is an institute called an institue for? You have brought out a very valid point dhaval.
Awesome blog man.I could very well relate to your crazy activities in collg.and ofcourse the good old DP's ;)
I think Garima will proove the decision of not takin her in DPS wrong in time to come.
Keep bloggin
@ ME
Yeah exactly… its DPS’ loss…
@ SCRIBBLEZ
Hey Scribblez… U r right… I too agree with it… it’s a national problem and we must give emphasis on English at primary level.
But as far as it’s about opportunity, I think language should not be constraint for that….
@ Sirius Black
Thnx dude… I am sure you might have done some crazy activities in ur coll also… right?
i agree with the fact that English is required in this competitive world but why the hell they have made these schools. If they are not confident of making any student fluent in English then why they are into this business? I consider schooling as other business and they are charging very high fees for these services (especially DPS). And there job is to make people more educated. Then why they are planning to take already skilled persons. dont they have confidence on themselves?
Again I will second the thought that rejection of Garima is DPS's loss..
Hi Dhaval. Good Article. But hold on mate. You are jumping the gun.
Let me tell you that IIT's, IIM's and schools like DPS are what they are not only because of their faculty, infrastructure and learning environment but mostly because of the quality of their intake.
Now just imagine even if Garima had got into DPS ... Do you think she would have been able to find peace with herself among a thousand other students with whom she cannot converse fluently. These schools have english as a medium of instruction and that would have been a handicap for her. I think it was in her best interest that DPS rejected her. I think high school is a tough enough time in a student's life and putting a student in a environment where he/she is a misfit won't make it any better.
I know this is an emotive issue. Had DPS rejected her because of her parents lack of fluency in english I would have agreed with you.
But if Garima isn't fluent in english she would be better off honing her linguistic and oratory skills in english in an environment which is conducive and encouraging. Putting her in DPS will only lead to feeling of being out of the place and trying to cope up with that will do no good to her ambitions.
I agree english is not everything but its important that a student finds a fit for himself/herself.
The whole admission criterion the world over is to provide the student with oppurtunities to do his/her best by providing him/her an environment which is best suited for him/her.
Cheers and Keep Blogging.
I agree English is important but not all important. I would like to ask why you are talking in general terms about a particular institution?
DPS is an institution. It has every right to decide what is important and what is not in the people they choose.
It is a fact that Garima should not be denied any opportunities because she has proven her mettle.
And it is also a fact that by aspiring to enter DPS rather than seek a better source for her further education more suited to her hindi medium background is a mistake on the part of Garima and her parents.
I don't think anything should be changed on the part of DPS's and it's ilk for people like Garima.
She requires better career guidance or an year spent on learning english. If hindi medium geniuses as bright as they're brought out to be they should be able to cope with the english language without problems.
Best of luck to them.
hi dhaval,
i too saw that news and was suppose to write but just cudn't..
this what our education system is like.
quite shameful incident on part of that school...
@ Madhurya
Hey Madhur… yar seriously telling muje kabhi tumhare woh attitude feel nahi huaa. N yeah its true, its just a matter of time “Time will change and so will the world culture”
@ Anonymous
Ya education is one of the high return business in India today. They simply don’t want to take risk and after all it’s a matter of their image. Lets hope we will get something changed.
@ Dinesh
I agree with u Dinesh… IIT’s n IIM’s are because of their quality intakes only. And that is why sometimes I feel it should be other way round. There should be some institutes in the country which can assure overall development of an average student.
But dude you have very valid point. I agree she would have faced a lot of problem in DPS if not from the school management then at least from her classmates. She would have suffered from inferiority complex also. And that may affect her result also. Thanks for giving a new direction to this point.
@ Nishant
Hold on dude, I don’t have anything against DPS. I would have written the same thing for my school also… I agree with you that they should be able to cope up with English language without any problem but for that I think they should be give a chance at least.
@ Rachna
Chalo koi nahi maine likh diya… :):):)
Read Dinesh’s comment. I think he has a valid point. But still I feel in some cases institutes should take some chances.
There are always some personal and political reasons for not giving these kind of decisions in favour of the right people. When i say personal reason i meantt three things: impression, question and risk. IMPRESSION is for that girl who doesn't know fluent english. people have a mindset for these kind of people. they dont even think that she is still a school going girl and this the platform which can help in achieving what they think is her weakness. When i say QUESTION: no body want to land up in the situation where eyebrows can be raised on them. Is it just to save their ASS they avoid these kind of decision. And when i say RISK, all these questions and impressions lead to RISK to them on their professional front.
And i think you know what all political stuff goes on in giving a right decision then in a wrong decision. :)
This is not happening at this intelligent girls level but with every person :).... and this is what we call LIFE :)
Keep posting
@ Sanjoli
True there can be many reasons behind the decision. And I think you have mentioned everything. Let’s hope she will have a great career. Amen!!!
i read dis post of urs on d very day u published it but cud not comment . buddy I just loved dis post …u really came up wid a question dat urgently demands a mature answer…I just cud not figure out dat on which parameters do dey jutice to d students…i pray to god for garima , may she get all d strengths to prove dez idiot ppl dat wot an indian gal sans english fluency can do ...thing dat struck was specially dat such a thing was done by a skool of national repute...moreover how cud dey expect everyone to get d commend on common things ...infact i think a person wid gud command over ny lang be it malyalam or hindi sud get appreciated after as a whole its a language like nyone...neways i wish al d best to dis talented gal..n wish dps guys get some wisdom !! n i must say again i loved dis post ...though previous ones were not ny bad infact hilarious !!
welll if it's a policy it''s a policy .. if the school has an english fluency policy then they have to abide by it no matter what (be equal to the person who has a high grade and the person who has a low grade)
dhaval,,i did read dinesh's comment..i still dont agree(i am amazed that u belive that quality depends on the way language is spoken????)..
and if likes of garima has to feel inferior,, what is the duty of teadchers in such schools? don't they have the responsibility to help talents??? and i think that it would have been eually possible that she must have got some good friends those have helped her improve her lang.. and the whole thing rejects the basic point of progress that u can only improve when u compete with the people who are better than you!!
u hav been tagged ..check out my blog for details !
@ Anu
Yeah person with good command on any language should get an equal chance… lets see….
Thnx for tagging me but now u will have to suffer… wait for my weird list… don’t blame me afterwards
@ Nabeel
Some times old policies need to be re-looked and changed if needed…
@ Rachna
You r getting it wrong here Rachna…
I m not telling that quality depends on the way language is spoken…
But I agreed to the point that she would have a tough time in DPS… believe me such students has to suffer in this kind of environment (on personal experience), Chances are there to get good teachers and one some good friends but in other case … u know it right?
It would have been a risky decision… Once again let me tell u I m telling that language makes diff in person’s intelligence.
Language if taught can be learned by anyone. But who teaches comes here??
It can be little contradict, but I will say personal interest should be ther within and from ther on it has to come with the teachers.
Language alone shud not make a person inferior when it comes to education. Leave out personal differences in schools/ colleges where they will be treated harsh with comments and onlookers.
If you have to comeup in life, you need to work your butt.
You can only take a horse to drink water, but cannot make it drink.
Language can be taught, but you need to develop with your interest. How many can speak Indian languages today??
Not all together. That doesn't mean he/she shud be deprived of something.
Learn to live by yourself and I will say she had the courage and challenged herself to improve her skills for herslef and not for those schools. But such an example has given her an opportunity to learn in her life what life will be when steps out of the school/ college.
It's stupid to discriminate against somebody just becoz they are not proficient in English.
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