ethnicity of Anglo-Indians is reflected in teaching
practices in the classrooms of Anglo-Indian schools. The
new ethnicity of Anglo-Indians must also be reflected in
the way religious education is taught in Anglo-Indian
schools, because arrangements "for religious education tend
to be tentative and exploratory" (31) in these schools.
The new ethnic Anglo-Indian needs,
... a good command over the English language
because it impresses prospective employers in
the public and private sectors. (32)
Schools must ensure that all Anglo-Indians are taught
English as a first language, as the main purpose is to
educate Anglo-Indians in their mother tongue. The new
ethnicity in the community also demands that Anglo-Indian
students learn the Three-Language Formula (33) effectively,
because this would prepare Anglo-Indians for the reality
of life in post-Independent India.
4.1. The Keralite Anglo-Indians: The descendants of
Portuguese Colonialists in Kerala
Interviews with the Kerala Anglo-Indians took place in an
Anglo-Indian school in Cochin, the capital of the state of
Kerala, which lies in the south-west corner of India.
Thirty three Anglo-Indians were interviewed in a group;
twenty nine were men, four women.
These respondents comprised 18.4% of the total
Anglo-Indian respondents in the survey. The number
represents 5% of the sampled population. The meeting was
conducted in English. The answer given by all respondents
to the question "What is the size of the Anglo-Indian
community?" was three hundred thousand. (34)
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