A PRIVATE school in Karachi recently came under the spotlight after one of its teachers reportedly painted a student`s face with black ink for speaking in Urdu instead of English.
The matter started when the teacher heardthe studentconcernedspeak tothe class fellows in Urdu instead of English, and asked other children to make fun of the student for not speaking in English.
In general, it is not appropriate for schools toforce the students tospeak exclusively in English, particularly if it is not their language of choice. The studentsshould be encouragedtouse and develop their first language, as well as learn English as a second language.
The exactresponse ofthe government in such a situation would depend on the country and its policies.
However, in many countries, there are laws and policies that protect the rights ofthe students to use theirnative language in schools, and ensure that schools provide appropriate language support to non-native English language learners.
The government`s response to schools that force students to speak in English should focus on ensuring that the students are able to use their native language and receive appropriate language support, while also promoting multilingualism and language diversity in schools and communities.
