HYDERABAD, Aug 28: Noted scholars and educationists have laid stress on more teachers to teach English as second language in schools and colleges. “Being multilingual is a plus and not minus point”, they said.

They were speaking during the inaugural session of two-day conference on education organised by the Faculty of Education, University of Sindh in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission, on Tuesday. Scholars and educationists from universities, colleges, research organisations and school managements participated in it.

They said big investment was needed to improve the standard of education through teachers’ training programme and providing facilities to institutions. Underlining the importance of English language, they recommended teaching science subjects of primary level in English.

Dr N.A. Baloch of the SU said training of teachers and favourable educational environments were sine qua non for improving standards.

He said the SU played a pioneering role in producing professional teachers since the middle of last century when first Department of Education was established there. The first step was holding of the matriculation examinations which then were conducted by the Bombay University, he said and added that it did pay rich dividends. He pointed out that besides medium of instructions and methods of examinations there were number of other factors which influence the teaching and learning process.

He underlined the importance of schedule, books and instruction material and said “effective teaching results in good learning”. Dr Baloch said in an enlightened system examinations were seen as a blessing and added: “Goals of modern times are universal literacy.”

About the medium of instruction, he said: “We do not pay proper attention to resolving this issue”. He said it was internationally recognised that a child needs to be instructed in mother-tongue which was prevalent only in Sindh and the NWFP.

He said the Indian Universities Commission in 1882 observed that children who received primary and secondary education in mother-tongue and then learnt English were superior to other students.

He said in a multilingual state like Pakistan, there could be more than one medium of instructions and quoted the example of Switzerland which had four state languages and as many educational mediums.

The Vice Chancellor Sindh University Mazharul Haq Siddiqui said today English language was the lingua franca of world and being used globally as the language of trade and commerce.

He said about 33 per cent schools were being run by private sector while 67 per cent by public sector and not all in private sector were better result-oriented. He said to teach English as second language instructors were required in large number and urged the government to invest in producing English language teachers.