On the occasion of the golden jubilee celebration, Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice organised a special Zoom event on "Embrace the Power of Gujarati Language in Education". The moderator of the event was Jyotsna Shah, Consulting editor of Gujarat Samachar.
Editor and publisher of Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice, CB Patel said, "We have united everyone who is proud of the Gujarati language, whether they were born in Gujarat or elsewhere. The identity of Gujarat is prominent and unique in the world. Nowadays, even in America, there are millions of Gujaratis and non-Gujaratis who say 'Kem Cho?’ (How are you?) and also talk about dhokla and Thepla. For years, you and I have been concerned about the Gujarati language. The Gujarati language must be used and preserved. Even if we don't speak or write in Gujarati, we must understand it. The child will know the family's morals if the parents teach him Gujarati and comprehend well enough to communicate with his grandparents."
The consulting editor of Gujarat Samachar, Jyotsana Shah, said, "English is obviously crucial given that we live in Britain, but we also need to keep in mind the importance of Gujarati, our native tongue. In Britain, some teach the Gujarati language through institutions. Although we are proud of the European languages we teach our kids, we must encourage our children to learn Gujarati. Learning a European language might help you land a better career or gain an additional qualification. But, we must not lose sight of the fact that we are Gujarati traders, and Gujaratis have made their homes all over the world. At present, many countries are showing interest in setting up their own industries in Gujarat, so it should be understood that the Gujarati language is vital.
Dr Jagdish Dave, Gujarati expert and scholar, said, "In 1984, I moved to London. I was brought by Bhanubhai to CB Patel to join the editorial board in order to write the piece. I've a four-decade-old relationship with Gujarat Samachar. 'Learn Gujarati' was a weekly column that began in 1989 with CB Patel and ran for two years. My late younger brother Prafulla Dave edited the article. I have tried to change Gujarati education for English medium students. In English, 'S' is Gujarati's ડ’, if you cut, it becomes ‘ક’, if you hook it down, it becomes ‘ફ’, if you bracket, it becomes ‘હ’ and if you connect, it becomes ‘ઠ’.With this method, students mastered ડ’, ‘ક’, ‘ફ’, ‘હ’ and ‘ઠ’ within a week. If you make a horizontal line and bring it down, it becomes ‘ત’, if you take it up, it becomes ‘મ’ and if you bring it back down from above, it becomes ‘ભ’. Later, if you move two brackets up and down, it becomes ‘દ’, if you put a line in front, it becomes ‘ઘ’, if you put a line below the knot, it becomes ‘ધ’, if you move two brackets forward, it becomes ‘છ’ , If you weave, it becomes ‘ઈ’ . Thus, within ten parts, we turned the entire script around and started promoting it that way."
Jayant Tanna, former Chairman of the Consortium of Gujarati School, said, "When I retired from my profession, there came a moment when the government decided not to hold the Gujarati language test. Then, I felt as though I ought to offer something based on my personal experience. In a meeting, it was decided to establish an organisation to prevent the suspension of the Gujarati examination; thus, the Consortium of Gujarati School was formed. I presided over this association in 2015 as chairman. That time there was a concern that there would not be the Gujarati GCSC. We spoke to all the eminent people, and Gujarat Samachar also helped us. Societies and temples gathered signatures from the public, and a petition with about 10,000 signatures was then delivered to Parliament. When we put forth a lot of effort in this way, the government agreed to switch the test board and allocate funding to a different board so that Gujarati and other languages could continue. Thus Gujarati education started again."
Vijaya Bhanderi, a Gujarati teacher in London, said, "Many Gujaratis emigrated to Africa and Britain in the 1970s and 1980s. Where the majority of families had children aged 8 to 10 who could read and speak Gujarati. The Gujarati language was not being taught to youngsters at that time because those who had recently immigrated to Britain were working long hours to establish themselves and make money. They used to speak Gujarati at home, but outside the home, English began to dominate. Learning Gujarati was a little easier for kids throughout the 1980s and 1990s because the majority of families had parents who could read and write Gujarati and who also partially taught Gujarati to their kids. In the 1990s, the work of Gujarati language education went on with great vigour. After the 2000s, it started to change. Some young parents of the new generation, whose parents came from Africa during the 1970s and 1980s, could not read, write or speak Gujarati. Since the 1980s, Gujaratis have continued to settle in certain London suburbs and cities. However, the number of kids studying Gujarati continues to decline as a result of the shifting environment, Gujarati parents' lack of interest in learning the language, and kids' apathy. Most of the schools have closed down, the remaining institutional schools continue to try to teach Gujarati, even with limited equipment and inexperienced teachers."
Sonal Shah, Chairperson of the Consortium of Gujarati School, said, "Over the years, Gujarati have received a lot of negative publicity. According to what I have observed, lesson planning is not practised in many schools, but this is changing as training is provided and the conventional educational approach is used. After I came here, I started working as a teaching assistant at a mainstream school. I knew that if children were to be taught Gujarati, it was necessary to know how education was imparted in mainstream schools. I have prepared myself and have been training other fellow teachers. I feel that in the school I run, parents are less interested in other activities; they demand Gujarati classes for two hours continuously. On the demand of parents, we have also started adult classes. The number of GCSCs has also increased."
Rekha Shah, head of Mandatha Gujarati School, said, "An Australian citizen once said that while English is the language used here, the mother tongue should still be spoken at home so that the children can learn. Don't worry about it. When our kids first started going to school, even the youngest students had to start learning Gujarati. They used to be free only in the evening because of a shortage of time, but we found a solution. Chandrakalaben and Kusumben started evening classes in our institute building. These young people's offspring eventually enrolled in our school to study Gujarati. We organise the programme every year, taking great satisfaction in the rare culture and sweetness of the language. Students are inspired and given the confidence to perform on stage in this way. "
Minaxi Champaneri from Glasgow, a former Gujarati teacher said, "We relocated here after my husband was sent to Scotland from Birmingham, where I had been teaching. Only 10 to 15 families comprised this Gujarati group. Gujarati had to be taught to the kids here, but there was no structure. I began teaching kids Gujarati at this time. Initially these children were taught to speak Gujarati, later to write and read. Children began learning Gujarati through individual tutoring over time. They learn the names of cooking ingredients. Over time, I took up a position in the Gujarati Association as Secretary. Due to some reason, the association collapsed. The number of Gujaratis has grown over time. When Gujaratis gathered in 1985, there were 40 to 50 of them; now there are 350 to 400."
Joshna D Patel, the author of "Global Gujarati", said, "We spend a lot of time fretting, but we must take action to facilitate the learning of languages. This task is not difficult, but Gujarati can be taught quickly if one finds the appropriate materials and techniques that they enjoy and can use at any time. I have written a comprehensive Gujarati book that you can learn on your own. Children will be able to read and speak Gujarati in addition to English."
Hina Pancholi from Aylesbury, a former Gujarati teacher said, "There was a great deal of passion for Gujarati education many years ago, and new students began teaching Gujarati. Many new Gujarati families have relocated to Aylesbury. We wanted to launch a new class because the number of Gujaratis in Aylesbury has increased five-fold, creating a fresh demand for studying."
Present participants and experts talked about younger kids and parents learning about Gujarati, details about Gujarati schools, and others. The vote of thanks was proposed by Group Editor Mahesh Liloriya.
