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CONSORTIUM FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING IN INDIA –

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 22ND MAY IN MUMBAI

Attendees:

UNICEF (1) Mr. Samphe Lhalungpa, Education Chief, UNICEF


(2) Ms Chetna Kohli, Senior Programme Officer,
UNICEF
(3) Ramchandra Rao Begur, UNICEF Mumbai
(4) Ms. Tara, UNICEF Mumbai

Room to Read (1) Mr. Dhir Jhingran, Regional Director, Asia, Room
to Read
Educational Development Centre
(EDC) (1) Ms Vandita Sharma, Country Director, EDC

The Centre for Learning Resources


(CLR) (1) Dr. John Kurrien, Director, CLR
(2) Ms Zakiya Kurrien, CLR
(3) Ms Mini Srinivasan, CLR

Invitees (1) Dr. Kumud Bansal, Former Secretary, Elementary


Education and Literacy, GOI
(2) Dr. Gayatri Devi Dutt, Director, The Regional
Institute for English, South India
(3) Prof. Arun Nigvekar, Former Chairman, UGC
Ms Vrinda Sarup, Jt. Secretary, EE-II, MHRD, Govt. of India could not attend
Mr. Anand Kulkarni, Principal Secretary, School Education and Sports Department,
Govt. of Maharashtra could not attend

IL&FS Education and Technology Services Ltd.


(IETS ) (1) Mr. Pradeep Singh, Managing Director
(2) Dr. Shabnam Sinha, Sr. Education Adviser
(3) Ms Madhu Bahl, Head, New Products
Development
(4) Ms Shobha Narayan, Sr. Manager, Public Private
Partnerships & Outreach
(5) Ms Svati Bhatkal, Head, Corporate
Communications
(6) Ms Aarti Pinto, Manager, New Products Dev.

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SESSION 1 – ELT: Need for Unified Efforts;
About the Consortium;
English in the context of SSA: State expectation

1. The session was inaugurated by Pradeep Singh, Managing Director, IETS.


Mr. Singh observed that in order for a country to be globally competitive,
English language skills are critical. India’s competitive edge today is the
existence of a large work force with English knowledge skills. However, if
India has to maintain this competitive edge and build on it, it is important that
this advantage permeates to non-metros and rural areas. Hence the formation
of the Consortium is significant in this context, as it marks the coming
together of agencies that are doing meaningful work in bringing about this
change.
2. Mr. Samphe Lhalungpa and Ms Chetna Kohli shared UNICEF’s experience in
the field of teaching English in rural India
3. Mr. Samphe stated that UNICEF was involved in two levels of engagement –
(1) the national level and (2) providing support through the 13 field offices of
UNICEF
4. In the year 2008, UNICEF would be launching its India Country Programme,
based on the 11th Plan Growth and other indicators
5. The major plank of UNICEF is to bring in Quality of Education with a focus
on Quality for Equity. UNICEF is looking for accelerated ways of bringing
Quality in Education and in a bilingual, multicultural and multilingual country
like India, knowledge of English could be considered as one of the major
facilitating factor for bringing in Quality for Equity. This was because English
had now become a reflection of the aspirations of the disadvantaged sections.
6. Mr. Samphe Lhalungpa mentioned that British Council is interested in joining
the project at a later date either as a partner or an associated partner
7. Ms. Chetana Kohli supplemented that UNICEF has a large quality framework
for enhancing quality of education in India and English would be one of the
major thrust areas
8. She shared a small study conducted by UNICEF on English Language
teaching status in States. English was introduced in most states between 1998-
2003. According to feedback received from 11 states on English Language
Teaching, the key points emerging across all states were
a. Only 3 states out of 10 introduced English in grade 3. The other 7 states
have introduced English in grade 1. The three states are Assam, Uttar
Pradesh, and Orissa. The states which introduced English in Grade 1 are
Rajasthan, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh,
Bihar, Chattisgarh.
b. English is taught by regular teachers in most states – there are no special
English teachers
c. Most states have conducted some form of teacher training/orientation
ranging from 6 days onwards to 30 days.

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d. Varied forms of Teaching Leaning Materials (TLMs) are being used by
states – radio programmes developed by EDC are being used in 2-3 states,
SSA is trying to organize teacher training programmes
e. There is no English Language teaching policy in any state.

9. Dr. Shabnam Sinha spoke about the need for an English Consortium and the
need for agencies and NGOs who have been working in the area of ELT,
preparing and delivering quality and meaningful programmes in English, to
come together and consolidate their efforts by working through a Consortium
rather than as individuals. The mission of the Consortium could be
“ENGLISH FOR EQUITY”. The mushrooming of small English medium
schools has rendered quality of teaching pathetic. The growing demand for
quality-controlled delivery for English teaching, which can be offered as a
cohesive teaching-learning system that is easy to deliver and caters to overall
skill developed prompted the setting up of the Consortium for English
Language Teaching.
10. The Consortium would focus on English Language teaching at the primary
level in Phase I.
11. She also gave a brief national overview on English in the context of SSA. .
There would be three important dimensions to this

a. Pupil exposure to English – Children in many rural areas speak in


dialects and often not even in the standard regional language. There are
variations in the dialects spoken. Their exposure to English is virtually
non-existent. There is a need for a very facilitative atmosphere to bring in
English skills.
b. Teacher education – The 20 days teacher training under SSA needs to be
re-looked at for appropriate modification. States have their own pattern of
following it – whether at one go or in chunks. As per the SSA framework,
teachers are paid Rs.70 per day, which has been found to be inadequate.
However, in spite of continued feedback, the amount could not be
enhanced. Teachers at the primary level are generalist teachers with little
or no knowledge of English. Their training in English needs to be
provided full attention. On-site support hence becomes critical.
c. Systemic issues for English – CRCs’ onsite support to teachers is critical.
Their own skill up-gradation is important. CRCs, BRCs need to be
engaged suitably for service delivery

12. These issues need to be highlighted as a Consortium rather than individual


groups so that there is policy impact over SSA norms to bring about reform in
ELT as a much needed movement in the country, on a mission mode.
13. Dr. Sinha added that a Special Invitee from UNESCO could not be present in
the meeting. They had jointly initiated a programme called English Express
with ILFS&ETS for the teaching of English to the girls of the Kasturba
Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas which has far-reaching implications for “quality
with equity”.

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SESSION 2 – Presentation by Core Partners –
SESSION CHAIR : Prof Arun Nigvekar

14. Presentation by Dhir Jhingran, Room to Read


a. In India, Room to Read’s focus is entirely on establishing Reading Room
Programs
b. Room to Read works with both rural and urban slum communities to
improve educational infrastructure
c. It is working towards strengthening Government’s efforts to meet its goal
of universalizing quality elementary education for all children
d. Room to Read runs four programs including establishing libraries,
computer labs, publishing children’s books in Hindi and a girls’
scholarship programme.
e. It has presence in 5 states – New Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal, MP, HP
f. Reading Room Program : Program Objective – To ensure that children
have access to libraries that continue to serve as resource rooms and places
of learning – 1325 libraries
g. All libraries are geared towards primary aged school children in grades 1
to 5. Reading material offered includes folk tales, fairy tales, books on
simple science concepts and books on arts and craft
h. The Library programme efforts are geared towards building reading skills
among children and providing them with opportunities for creative
expression such as writing, drama, storytelling, painting etc.
i. Local Language publishing – Program objective – To publish
children’s books that will attract young readers by sourcing books that
feature new content, high quality, child-friendly, educational and fun
material – 41 titles, 27 posters, 105000 books and posters printed
j. Books published are both in Hindi and English
k. Room to Read has partnered with Scholastic India to carry out this mission
l. The focus of the books is on areas where currently there is not enough
content, such as books for early readers and science books
m. They also print posters with rhymes and poems for children
n. Room to Grow program – Program Objective – To broaden girls’
perspective towards life by supporting their education up to the 12th grade
and training them in skills that will lead to self-sufficiency – 771 girls
o. Scholarships are offered to the following:
i. Girls attending a Govt primary school (grade 1-5)
ii. Girls attending a government upper primary school (grade 6-8)
iii. Girls attending a NGO-run non-residential school;
iv. Girls attending a NGO-run school with hostel facilities (grade 1-8)
v. Girls attending a bridge course (or catch-up) program
vi. Girls who have completed grade 5 and continue their education
through distance learning, private, or self-study model
p. Room to Read gives preference to the first three options mentioned above
when providing new scholarships

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q. All girls under the scholarship programme are provided with uniforms for
summer and winter, stationary, a variety of school and personal supplies
(ranging from shoes and socks to a lunch box, umbrella), textbooks,
reference books and tutoring (when required), school fess, travel costs,
and medical check-ups
r. Computer Room Program – Program Objective – To develop the
creativity and confidence of computer teachers such that they integrate
computer literacy and educational software as a tool for enhancing
students understanding of academic subjects – 15 computer rooms
s. Each computer lab receives three years of support – Room to Read
donates hardware (6 to 8 computers) software and trainings to assist
teachers with curriculum development
t. Room to Read also commit to maintenance of the computers and provide
upgrades as needed in the third year
u. The focus of the computer labs is both on Computer Assisted Learning
(CAL) and Computer Literacy (CL).CAL refers to the use of educational
software such as audio-visual teaching material for academic topics such
as maths, science, social science and language. CL refers to the use of
basic computer packages such as Microsoft Office and Windows
v. In the first year Room to Read trains teachers with a focus on how to plan
CAL programs. The other focus is on setting up systems for the lab so that
children spend at least 3 hours on a computer every week. In the second
year innovative teaching pedagogies are explored with the teachers.
Additional aids such as digital cameras or projectors are also used.
Children from each lab who have demonstrated potential in advanced
computer understanding are identified and scholarships provided for
further training.
w. The underlying focus of the computer labs is building sustainability for
labs to function beyond Room to Read’s 3-year support.

4 Presentation by Vandita Sharma, Educational Development Centre


(EDC)

a. Educational Development Centre has its presence in 4 states – Jharkhand,


Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chattisgarh – starting in Bihar in August
b. EDC is running the Dot-EDU T4 project – India
c. The goal of the T4 project is to improve the quality of education at the
elementary level by
i. Using innovative pedagogy-based and technology-based tools in
the classroom
ii. Fostering state-level systems that sustain the use of the tools
d. Educational Video Programs – Educational video/TV –
e. This is an activity-based video instruction programme for 4th and 5th
standards in maths, EVS and history
f. Learning is achieved by the seeing-and-doing approach
g. Group Teaching and Learning Multimedia software

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h. This is an Easy-to-use method of integrating technology into existing
educational processes
i. It embraces the whole class with a single computer
j. It engages up to 20 students simultaneously
k. Digital Library
l. The Digital Library is a repository of educational content from T4 project
and agencies working with the Education system in India
m. It is usable and searchable in Kannada, Hindi and English languages
n. The library makes use of existing infrastructure and educational
governance system
o. Content is available for classes 1 to 10 in Social science, maths, science
and languages
p. IRI for Introductory English – This programme aims to create an
environment where English happens than is taught
q. Learning is through hands-on experience
r. It involves simulating day-to-day activities
s. The emphasis is on continued practice and reinforcement
t. It is a group and peer learning exercises
u. It aims to provide model and methods to teachers

5. Presentation by Dr. John Kurien, CLR


a. CLR is a technical support organization for
i. Teacher education
ii. School education and support classes
iii. Early Childhoold Education (ECE)
iv. Programmes for Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD)
b. CLR primarily works with those involved in education of economically
and socially disadvantaged children
c. English language skills of students is extremely poor
d. Teachers knowledge of English language is also very poor
e. Teachers do not know how to teach English
f. The focus in the classroom is only on reading aloud, copying and writing
g. Only textbook is used in most cases
h. Listening and speaking skills are totally neglected
i. CLR has Interactive Radio programmes for teaching spoken English
skills in rural and urban government regional medium schools
j. The 3-yr bilingual radio programme for teaching spoken English in govt
schools is called “Aamhi Ingrazi Shikto”
k. It was originally developed in Marathi-English and trials have been
conducted in Pune district between 2001-04 for STds. 5-7
l. It was adapted in Hind-English “Aao Angrezi Sikhe” – it was broadcast
in various states for Stds. 4-6
m. Some of the schools covered by the programme are Pune Zilla Parishad
and Municipal Corp schools, Mumbai Municipal corporation schools,
Delhi Municipal Corp schools, Rural government schools in districts of
Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Uttaranchal

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n. The impact of the CLR radio programme was that those class 5 and class 7
students exposed to the radio programme had better English speaking skill
than those students not exposed to the programme.
o. CLR has introduced a Pilot radio programme “Let’s Read and Write
English” – this is a 3-yr interactive radio programme for teaching reading
and writing in classes 5,6,7
p. The first 2 levels successfully completed – the third level is to be
broadcast this year
q. CLR has capacity building programmes and training materials for primary
school teachers and trainers for teaching of English in govt schools which
encompasses
i. Programmes for primary school teachers and trainers for teaching
of English in Government schools
ii. Developing a course for improving teachers’ own knowledge of
English
r. CLR has supplementary reading materials for students which are child-
centered learning materials and games for phonemic awareness, word
recognition, sentence construction and early reading, bilingual picture
word book in English-Marathi, English-Hindi and 8 other regional
languages, bilingual storybooks in English-Marathi, English-Hindi.
s. It has been found that 50% of the teachers do not turn on the radio to listen
to these programmes
t. Of the balance 50%, 25% turn it on irregularly

7. Presentation by Madhu Bahl, IETS

a. The role of IETS in Education as well as two of IETS’ programmes –


English Relay and Take-Off – which are suitable for this target audience,
were discussed in detail
b. It is IETS’ conviction and experience that the English divide today is real
and needs urgent addressing. There is also need to bridge the real English
divide – the gap between dreams and aspirations and the reality of
inadequate delivery
c. IETS’ strengths lie in its years of experience with working with the target
population through several other IETS programmes. IETS also has the
capacity to scale up the outreach. IETS is also convinced that the Public-
Private-Partnership model is the driving force for IETS in its endeavour to
achieve the outreach
d. IETS’ design philosophy is that If – we want participants to become fluent
in the language, Then – the learner must use the language instead of being
a passive learner, By – Integrated development of Listening, Speaking,
Reading and Writing skills, So that – The learner is solidly poised for
active listening, confident speaking, reading for understanding and
independent writing
e. Some of IETS’ English Language products are

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i) Springboard – A business communication program for fresh
graduates as well as junior level employees
ii) Accomplish – An English and IT skills program for middle and
senior management employees of organizations
iii) Right Turn – A basic English language program for the police
iv) Take Off – A program for school teachers
v) English Relay – a program for children
vi) I-PACE – Proficiency and aptitude training in Computers and
English – To support ICICI Bank in its initiative to train the staff
of Sangli Bank in English Language skills and computer efficiency

f. About Take Off


g. This programme aims to activate passive English in School teachers to
enable them to make regular use of the language while teaching in the
class-room
h. IETS has completed training about 1600 teachers on Take Off.
Implementation for another 2400 Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation
teachers is under way
i. The objectives of this programme is
i) To reinforce the existing English knowledge
ii) To building English vocabulary
iii) To learn correct usage of English lanauge rules
iv) To improve fluency in speaking English
v) To overcome inhibitions around the usage of English
j. The programme course runs through 20 sessions of 2 hours each
k. The basis of the themes in the programme are those that teachers are
familiar with and likely to encounter in day-to-day life
l. Vocabulary building and sentence pattern practice is a strong element of
Take Off
m. Take off addresses the issue of transfer of English learnt to class and
school situations
n. The program uses powerpoint slides, audio clips, class cards, multimedia
units, role pays and involves group and individual work
o. The methodology used in Take Off is interactive and instructor-led. The
main features of the programme are
i) Materials and exercises are provided for learners at all levels
ii) It progresses from the known to the unknown
iii) It lays equal emphasis on class participation and home assignments
iv) It provides individual practice and personal notes
v) It also has additional tips to continue the learning and its
application

p. About English Relay


q. English Relay is a specially designed program to :
i) Teach English to school children who are learning English as their
second or third language

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ii) Take all participating children first to basic English literacy and
then to competent usage of English for their academic purpose
r. The package is based on the Curriculum Learning Outcomes
s. The philosophy behind developing English Relay is that language
learning, especially for children requires and input-rich environment.
Engaging learning contexts also leads to quicker learning and learning for
use. A Holistic approach towards concurrent development of receptive
and productive skills ensures increases comprehension and regular usage.
t. The Programme is delivered at four levels
i) Level 1 …. Std. I-II students
ii) Level 2 …. Std. III-V students
iii) Level 3 …. Std. VI-VIII students
iv) Level 4 …. Std. IX to X students
u. Each level has a 60 session (1.5 hours each) program
v. The learning progression is from picture cards to letter cards to word cards
to reading cards to story cards to work books.
w. The components of the English Relay program is as follows:
i) Teaching-Learning material
ii) Student workbook
iii) Facilitator Manual
iv) Facilitator Training
v) Monitoring and Reporting Tools
x. Teaching Learning materials are designed for repeated use and can cater to
a large number of children at the same time. It exposes children to varied
art styles. It comprises audio-visuals and games.
y. The Student Workbook is colourfully designed and caters to guided
writing practice, has reading material and games for word play at home.
z. The Facilitator Manual contains detailed step-by-step explanations and
clearly described learning outcomes. It is written in easy-to-understand
local language. The English component is explained and transliterated for
correct pronunciation. It also contains a Glossary to aid continuous
learning. The manual caters to English skills development of the facilitator
as well.
aa. A typical facilitator profile would be either School English teachers or a
local adult from the community who has completed high school, has a
predisposition to work with children, has a befitting personality and habits
and shows commitment for one English Relay cycle.
bb. Facilitator Training comprises language teaching – both theory and
methods and incorporates session-wise explanation of objectives and
process. The training involves familiarizing facilitators with materials for
planned usage and for creative application, effective classroom
management techniques, mock teaching practice and solution finding for
expected challenges.
cc. The Monitoring and Reporting Tools in English Relay monitors the
learners progress
i) Through pretests and post-tests of students

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ii) Inbuilt assessment plan for written and spoken English
iii) By tracking progress – written, case study and audio recording
dd. It also monitors program delivery through
i) Facilitator debriefing
ii) Program supervisor observation sheets
iii) Weekly planning and reporting formats
iv) Program coordinator report format

ee. The strength of the English Relay program is that the framework and
design of the programme addresses the lack of good English teachers and
leads to the development of competency of facilitators at the grass-root
level. It is so designed that it provides an option of being implemented by
a volunteer or by a teacher. It also encourages employment of local
educated youth in the village.
ff. English Relay has been launched for 1500 students across 8 villages of
Rajasthan, in Rabriyawas and Bhauri. A 4-day intensive training program
for 16 grass root level workers has been conducted at the program site.
gg. The English Relay Training Programme for facilitators in Yavatmal was
conducted for the Sanchalaks of E-Choupals.

8. Observations of Prof Nigvekar

a. Based on the presentations and findings of various participants, Prof


Nigvekar observed that English language skills in today’s context is
becoming extremely critical.
b. It is also becoming evident that the teaching of English language is
extremely difficult, given the skill sets of teachers available for teaching as
well as the knowledge of students seeking to learn the language.
c. While the GOI is trying its best to introduce English in schools through
the SSA and other initiatives, it is apparent that this effort should start at
the ground level and involve teachers, students, community and others
who are keen to bring about this change.
d. Speaking a language one does not understand also calls for different tools
– in this context the role of the Consortium becomes important. It should
be the responsibility of the Consortium to create an environment and
provide necessary tools which will enable this learning to take place.
These tools should be adaptable to all levels. It is also apparent from the
experiences of the various agencies that the pedagogy involved in the
teaching of English language skills should be a judicious blend of
technology as well as face-to-face intervention.

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SESSION 3 – OPEN DISCUSSION
SESSION CHAIR – DR. KUMUD BANSAL

9. SALIENT POINTS EMERGING OUT OF THE DISCUSSION


The session began with the participants congratulating Dr. Kumud Bansal on successful
completion of her Doctorate degree. The deliberations were :

a. The combined strengths of each – CLR, EDC, R to R and IETS – should


be leveraged in such a way as to impact policy both central and state. The
Consortium has to identify ways of impacting elementary education and
create a package which can be offered to specific groups such as teachers,
students and community members.
b. The policy in different states to introduce English in Std. 1 needs a better
and sound theoretical understanding of second language learning,
especially second language literacy (or third language), though there does
not seem to be any possibility of revising the policy at the moment. The
Consortium was of the view that this needs to be re-looked at. The
Consortium also needs to identify what is required to facilitate and
implement this well.
c. Std 1 children are only just beginning to learn reading and writing in the
‘school language’ (medium of instruction) and for thousands of children
the school language is itself a second language. Moreover, nationwide
testing reveals abysmally low levels of literacy in the school language
attained by Std. 2 in government primary schools. In discussing this
situation, the Consortium was of the view that the English curriculum in
the first two years should focus primarily on listening and speaking with
less of reading and writing. It was also felt that little or no assessment of
English learning should be undertaken at this stage.
d. Teachers should be empowered to teach spoken English. They should be
provided supplementary resources which will help them achieve this goal.
e. The course should be so structured as to avoid dichotomy between local
language and English language. Children also need to be given time to
learn. The TLMs used should be suitable for young learners.
f. In this context the teachers’ speaking skills become very important.
g. Teachers should be put through a Teacher training session including
introduction to theory followed by hand-on training of classroom
processes for ELT.
h. The Consortium needs to work closely with Governments – it may be a
good idea to use Karnataka as a case study – study the ongoing
implementation issues being faced by Karnataka and learn from the
Karnataka experience. It is also critical to measure the impact of the
lessons learnt.
i. It may also be a good idea to lay down basic recruitment criteria for
teachers such as some basic proficiency in English. At the upper primary
level, efforts need to be made to appoint subject specialists as English
teachers.

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j. The emphasis should be on teacher training – under the SSA, time should
be set aside for teachers for English training.
k. The number of children in the 6-14 years age group is 200 million
l. A minimum of 5 million teachers are required to teach and cater to the
requirements of these 200 million children. This emphasizes the need to
look at capacity building. Hence institutional capacities of the NCERT,
SCERTS, ELTIs, etc. needs to be looked at closely. It is important to
engage the NCERTs and SCERTs on the challenges ahead through a
Public-Private-Partnership mode. Tie-ups with agencies outside the
conventional domain could also be a possible solution for capacity
building.
m. As part of the capacity-building process, mentorship programmes can be
introduced wherein BRC and CRC teachers will have mentors to hand-
hold and help them.
n. Students already learning English could be engaged to partner and foster
peer learning.

STRATEGY TO BE ADOPTED BY THE CONSORTIUM

Dr. Kumud Bansal delineated the following action points for the Consortium, based on
the discussions with the core partners

a. The Consortium would create a Position Paper in a month’s time


b. The Position Paper would cover following :

• If English is introduced in class 1, what are the implications with


respect to teacher training, teacher knowledge (Academic
backdrop)
• How do we engage the states especially SCERTs – what is the
forum in which we engage with them – how do we engage with
them – what are rules of engagement – what is content of
engagement
• Need to explore dimensions of Public Private Partnership for
quality of ELT delivery outside the conventional domain
• Need to develop resource groups, reading rooms, audios, poems
etc.
• Peer learning, story/reading sessions, mentoring etc. could be
initiated between English medium schools and government
schools.
• The Consortium would undertake efforts/research to facilitate
policy decision for GOI and state governments for quality English
Language Teaching

c. A sub-group comprising Dr. Gayatri, Dr. Shabnam Sinha, Dhir Jingran and
Dr. John Kurien would create the Position Paper

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d. The Position Paper should be ready in a month’s time – by end June
e. The Position Paper would be sent to MHRD and to state governments,
national agencies etc.
f. UNICEF would request MHRD to invite NCERT, SCERTs, SPDs etc. for a
National level conference
g. The tentative date for the conference would be the third week of July

DR. SHABNAM SINHA


Coordinator – English Consortium

24th May 2007

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