The Issue of English as a Medium of Instruction in Primary Schools in Pakistan

Pakistan emerged in 1947 in a linguistically diverse cultural context. Among other things, the dynamics of politics and power ensured that English and Urdu assumed the role of the dominant languages (see Rahman, 1996; Rashid & Shaheed, 1993). English, as part of the colonial legacy retained its status as the language of the elite. Urdu, too, had been provided greater space by the British, particularly in Punjab, which, though not the majority province, assumed the dominant role in terms of the power configuration in the new country.