English dominant but never be shy about one's Marathi-medium education Former SC judge Oka

Thane, Jul 11 (PTI) Former Supreme Court Justice Abhay Oka has said students should not feel inferior about receiving their education in Marathi even as English becomes increasingly dominant in academics and public life.
Speaking at a Guru Poornima event here on Thursday, he strongly emphasized the need to take pride in one's mother tongue and vernacular education.
The former apex court judge highlighted how his foundational education in Marathi medium never proved to be an obstacle, even at the highest levels of the Indian judiciary.
"Both I and my senior colleague in the Supreme Court, Chief Justice of India Bhushan Gavai, have studied in Marathi medium. Many people ask me whether I faced language problems while serving in the Bombay or Karnataka High Courts or in the Supreme Court. I always tell them no, never," he said.
"That is because our school gave us excellent grounding in English, especially grammar, despite being a Marathi medium school. While English is undeniably important in today's professional world, it should not come at the cost of one's connection with their native language," he added.
There is no doubt that English is the need of the hour but Marathi-speaking children should also be given very good education in Marathi even if they are studying in English-medium schools, he said.
"Today, English medium has become a kind of dominance. All children are being pushed towards English. But there is absolutely no reason to feel ashamed or shy about learning in Marathi medium," he asserted.
It is the strength of education and values, not the medium of instruction, that takes a person forward in life, he opined.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)