Learning English at school is more important than learning a local language. English is used as a worldwide language in many countries these days, and I also agree with this.
A mother tongue is something one must learn before trying others. But almost every single person in the world has learned their local language from a young age. As an example, parents teach their children their hometown language by talking in front of them, and then they become used to it. But that language cannot be used in different nations. Learning English as a second language is not a bad thing. Students who go abroad must have this required skill. So, they can communicate with each other in order to fit into society. For example, if a student wants to go shopping or go to dinner in unfamiliar places, they have to use a language that everyone can understand, which is English. Another important point is that you can also use it in workplaces. A lot of people from different countries who are working in the same industries or companies must talk in English in order to communicate. For instance, when finding a new project for a company from a non-national person, you must speak the most used language in the world.
To conclude, learning English is as important as learning local languages.