Striving to give good education: Jagan slams Vice Prez, TDP chief over 'English medium' taunt

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday slammed Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu for speaking against the state government's bid to convert all government schools into English medium from the next academic year.

"I ask Chandrababu Naidu, sir, in which medium did your son study? In what medium your grandson is going to study? I ask the same to Venkaiah Naidu and cinema actor Pawan Kalyan," Reddy said at an event to celebrate the birth anniversary of the country's first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.

The chief minister highlighted the importance of learning English in these times.

"Our children in poverty should also get educated and flourish. For that, they should study in English medium schools. Today we are competing with the world. Anybody wants to get a job, he must learn English. Without English one cannot compete with the world," Reddy said.

"I am striving for our children to get good studies, our children should study in English medium schools, all our schools should be in English medium," he added.

Reddy said that he was wondering whether the state will or will not develop faster if the schools are converted into English medium so children can study in English in government schools.

"Some voices were raised against the decision. They asked questions like why the English medium for the poor and is Telugu medium not enough for them? People like Chandrababu Naidu, Venkaiah Naidu, and Pawan Kalyan asked these questions," Reddy said.

The state government had recently issued a government order giving permission to the Commissioner of School Education to convert all government, Mandal Parishad Primary (MPP), and Zilla Parishad schools into English medium.