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 heard the student concerned speak to the 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 to force the students to speak exclusively in English, particularly if it is not their language of choice. The students should be encouraged to use and develop their first language, as well as learn English as a second language.

The exact response of the 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 of the students to use their native 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 appro-priate language support, while also promoting multilingualism and language diversity in schools and communities.

Sabiha Arif
Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2023