From Moaz Nair

The government’s plan to further buttress the learning of English in schools is laudable as the global importance of English cannot be denied. Academics and parents are rightly concerned that the decline in English proficiency will impair students’ future prospects.

Parents have voiced strong support for the government’s focus on strengthening English proficiency in primary schools and the language be taught effectively, as announced in the 2026 Budget.

Start them young

For long-term proficiency, learning a language has to start from young and should include the best mode of approaching the subject. As such, mastery of the English language within the national education system has to be prioritised from the primary level.

The six years of primary education should see students gain a reasonable grasp of the language. This is the phase where students would adopt unconscious learning when they are less inhibited and keen to explore new things, including learning a new language.

Studies have shown that the years during which students were exposed to the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) policy, introduced in 2003 and reversed in 2012, significantly helped urban students improve their command of the language.

Unfortunately, presently not all schools are given the opportunity for their students to study Math and Science in English under the dual language programme (DLP). What more those studying in rural schools. This regressive policy has deprived many students of one favourable environment where English language can be indirectly and functionally exposed and acquired.

One-size-fits-all approach

The formal “one-size-fits-all” approach method used by most teachers in urban versus rural schools could make learning English less inspiring to the latter group of students.

Adopting formal teaching of English as a second language (ESL), as presently practised, may not be as effective in a rural setting where the language is generally not used at home or among peers to communicate.

To be more effective, the ideal way of learning the language has to be more immersion-based. Urban students are generally more at an advantage in this context, but not those rural students.

Urban students are generally found to speak English at home and among peers and also enjoy watching English programmes and movies. Furthermore, urban schools have a higher demand for English teachers due to larger student population and a greater emphasis on English proficiency.

Schools in urban areas generally have better facilities, resources, and technology, which can make the teaching environment more attractive compared to rural schools that may lack essential teaching tools. Language acquisition for this advantaged- group of students becomes more of a natural or unprompted process.

The formal teaching of English in urban schools with all the prescribed emphasis on the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and the two sub-skills (grammar and vocabulary) becomes a mere formality to them. It will thus effortlessly help augment their language nuances and they will thus find learning English as a very undemanding progression.

The same, unfortunately, may not be present in most rural schools. Formal teaching as practised today in most ESL classes can be too exhausting for students in the rural schools as the language is perceived as a complex and isolated subject.

When English is merely treated as an isolated subject, students would not see the usefulness of the language. This also becomes unimpressive when there are fewer avenues out there for them to use the language.

The traditional approach of grammar rules, reading comprehension, guided speaking, writing and finally the examinations will more often than not put these students off.

For these reasons, it has been observed that students in rural and even semi-urban settings often neglect English. They find the teaching and learning of English irrelevant to their immediate needs and they cannot be blamed for this impediment.

Shortage of trained teachers

Various factors have led to a higher concentration of trained English teachers in urban schools, causing shortages and higher turnover rates in rural areas.

Issues like higher teacher burnout in rural areas is too common. A persistent shortage of qualified English teachers in rural schools has forced some schools to have non-English background teachers teach English instead.

If teachers themselves lack the pedagogical background for language teaching, speak or write bad English, they cannot become role models for these students.

Adding to that, some rural schools often lack the necessary resources and infrastructure for English language education, such as computer labs, internet access, and learning materials.

Hence, to be fair to rural students, more has to be done in facilitating schools in such areas with better teaching, and learning tools and resources.

The education ministry has to relocate more trained English teachers and experienced subject specialists who are proficient in English from urban to rural schools with special incentives given to them.

Following this, have the gumption to introduce the DLP in all rural schools and immerse students in an English environment by having one or two non-core subjects taught in English.

These initiatives can help create a learning space for rural students that maximise exposure through practical use of the language.

Immersing in interactive activities, integrating multimedia resources, and nurturing participative teaching and learning will help these students develop better communication skills and a more organic understanding of English.

Moaz Nair is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.