Telangana Schools Celebrate Nightingale of India as ‘English Language Day’
This year schools in Telangana celebrated the birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu with a host of literary activities
Hyderabad: This year schools in Telangana celebrated the birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu with a host of literary activities. Traditionally, February 13 is marked as National Women's Day.
However, in a circular on February 7, the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) asked all schools under it — government model, local body, TREIs and KGBVs — to henceforth observe the occasion in honour of the Nightingale of India as 'English Language Day'.
Students participated in essay writing, elocution, story writing, poetry composition, and poster-making competitions. English teachers were honoured for their contributions.
"Indian English is not celebrated enough. This is a good opportunity to recognise its importance," said Anuradha, academic monitoring officer, Sangareddy. "It was nice to see children come together for these activities."
The English Language Teachers' Association (ELTA), Telangana, had proposed this idea to SCERT. "Unlike other Indian English laureates, Sarojini Naidu belongs to Telangana by birth and education. Honouring her legacy aligns with the state's cultural and educational aspirations," the ELTA’s letter stated.
Sarojini, a political activist, feminist, the first Indian woman president of Indian National Congress and former governor of Indian state, was also noted poet with works like The Golden Threshold (1905), The Bird of Time (1912). Sarojini (1879-1949) was born in Hyderabad.
Schools across the state, including ZPHS Posanipet, ZPHS Mudimanik, ZPHS Wasar, and ZPHS Thogurpally in Kondapur, participated in the celebrations.
ZPHS Mudimanik organised an essay writing competition where students explored the role of English in India.
SCERT’s circular focused on the global and cultural relevance of the English language. The event was organised to encourage creativity and literary expression among students, especially those with limited access to language resources.