Mangaluru: Early Learning Centre (ELC), Mangalore – through its project ‘Be the change’, have taken up six government primary schools in the city to teach spoken English, said Thulasi Maddineni, Chief Executive Officer, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat.

Addressing presspersons here on Thursday November 13, she said post-graduate students from St. Agnes College, Bendoorwell would teach the children spoken English, while ELC would verify the background of the student before enrolling the work. The classes, either thrice a week or four times a week, will commence from December – which would cover an entire academic year”, she said.

The schools are in Gandhinagar, Mannagudda, Kodical, Marakada, Kavoor and Surathkal, she said and added if more volunteers come forward, we would include more schools.

Maddineni said the methodology of teaching would be reading out story books – in order to make them listen to English, which the students of Government schools are deprived of, like their counterparts in the private schools.

She said, “Each student would have to pay a fee of Rs. 750 per year, which is not mandatory. The School Development and Monitoring Committees (SDMCs) of the six schools have plans to meet the fees of such students through sponsors”.

Sonia Moras, co-ordinator, Early Learning Centre was present at the press meet.