Students at a government school. Telegraph picture

Ranchi, June 19: Students of government schools in the state would soon be able to speak and read in English like their counterparts in convents.

The state education department has planned to start a pilot project under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan programme through which the students would be taught English. The project would be carried out in five phases.

This English learning programme will be only for students of Classes VIII to XI.

The teachers of government schools would undergo a month-long workshop on improving English teaching skills.

The state education department officers have identified 62 high schools, 38 minority schools and six government-aided schools in Ranchi, where the trained English teachers would take classes. Then it would be carried on in other districts of the state.

Schools would be provided with English teaching aids like newspapers, radio, tape recorders and CD players. The government has also directed the department to ensure that students listen to English news bulletins on radio and read English daily.

The classes would be monitored and supervised. After each class, the teachers would undergo evaluation programme. The state government, as part of its preparation, has already given Rs 500 to the schools to buy social science, mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry books for the library.

“The teachers will encourage the students to speak and converse in English,” said director of secondary education A.K. Pandey.

Pandey said that the main aim of introducing the practice of teaching in English in district schools is to prepare the students to speak and read in the Queen’s language as the language is very important today’s world.

District education officer (DEO) Ashok Kumar Sharma said: “In government schools, at present the mentors teach in Hindi. In order to help the students have a brighter future, we started this programme.”

However, the DEO said they cannot train the para teachers as they are only meant to teach at the primary level.

“We want children from poor families to learn English. They can then be at par with pupils of English-medium schools,” Sharma said.