I HAVE been wondering for a long time why science subjects in English, particularly at the intermediate and bachelor’s levels, are being taught in the mother tongue of the learners, or Urdu, or both of them.

When the suggested/prescribed books of science for students are in English, questions of the tests and assessments have to be answered in English. They are supposed to be taught in English, and not in other languages.

The medium of teaching cannot be in some other language but English. Adopting some other language would be like shirking one’s duty to the satisfaction of students.

I would like to request the higher authorities of the Higher Education Commission of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to direct all the colleges to ask the professors not to use Urdu or Pashto, or both of these languages as a medium of teaching while teaching science subjects.

We complain against students for their weaknesses in English but when we as teachers have not familiarised them with the language during their learning/teaching in the colleges, how can they show better fluency and competence in English?

Mohammad Fayyaz

Charsadda

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2014