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The days when good education meant children speaking English flawlessly even before they developed all their teeth is long since gone from our school scene. I remember my own school days when we used to be punished for communicating with friends in the corridors during break time in Tamil. We were asked to write fifty times, "I will not speak in Tamil in school." The present scenario
The Principal of a well established CBSE school said during a 'meet the parents session', "When we were kids, we started learning English only in the 6th standard. Then at appropriate levels, we picked up the accent and polished our language." This is true for most of the previous generation's professionals who now speak English as though it is their mother tongue. In stages English is introduced in stages in schools. During the first term of the Kindergarten year, the teachers mostly communicate in the local language. The second term sees a bi-lingual approach. From the third term onwards, though the teachers speak only in English, they do not insist on the child doing so.
A flexible approach By our culture and geographical location, we are mainly Tamil speaking families. As soon as the child starts school, if the parents suddenly begin communicating in English what was till the previous day done in Tamizh, it is sure to confuse the child. A flexible approach is what experts recommend, as does our common sense. Allow the child first to learn one language correctly. By laying sudden stress on another, the child will learn neither properly. Improving language skill
"What we want to see is the child in pursuit of knowledge and not the knowledge in pursuit of the child". George Bernard Shaw's words are more relevant here than anywhere else. Akshaya
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Now in most schools, the approach is more flexible. And teachers also advise parents not to insist on the child speaking in English at home; and most importantly not to correct their accents. This is not out of any newfound love for Tamil or hatred for English, but due to better understanding of teaching skills and child psychology. 
The idea is to allow the child first of all to feel comfortable about expressing itself. If all the time the young mind is conscious of the means of communication, to speak the language correctly and in a proper accent, then understandably the focus shifts from content to something less important. It may result in clamping down the child's imagination. More seriously, the child may refuse to think that which he/she is unable to express in English. 
The best way to improve your child's English is to do it subtly. Reading a lot of good stories in English that have an easy language flow and exposing the child casually to more aural experiences are two ways. But more important is what you don't do. That is, do not correct your child's accent, making it conscious and confused, and do not pressurize your child to speak only in English. 
