Teachers, parents worry over lack of clarity on three-language policy

Parents and teachers are frustrated with confusion regarding the implementation of the three languages for Class IX and X in CBSE schools as the deadline to begin approaches. Practical difficulties, lack of student agency, and last-minute stress to learn a new language are just some of the challenges said educators in implementing the circular.

While the CBSE circular states that two of the languages opted by the students must be native to India, the other can be a foreign language. However, educators point out that English, which is the medium of instruction in most CBSE schools, is considered as the foreign language thereby removing the option of learning a foreign language such as French.

This has been a cause for concern for Class X students who will be facing the boards this academic year. For Aditi, a class 10 student of a private CBSE school in the city, learning Tamil as the second language in time for her board exams is stressful. Aditi has learnt the language in her lower classes and has opted for French since Class VI as she wants to pursue her higher education elsewhere.

“She has to face her board exam and this is unnecessary stress for her. Will she be able to focus on her core subjects to pursue the stream she wants or focus on the language to make sure she passes? We don’t know Hindi and hence, Tamil is the more logical option but at what cost?” asked her mother Sreena N.

In May, CBSE had informed all schools to implement three languages for Class VI-X where at least two of the languages taught are native languages. While the Class 10 student will not have to write a board exam in the third language, the internal marks will appear on the pass certificate.

Veda, a class IX student has to opt for Hindi as the third language but nobody in her family knows the language. “We are all stressed for her. None of us know the language to even offer her support. This is a bad decision,” said her mother Renu (name changed).

Varsha (name changed), mother of a Class 9 student added that there has been no clarity from the school regarding the language question. “She was a French student and will now have to learn some other language but how will this progress? There has been no answer from anyone,” she said.

School principals point out that practically this rule cannot be implemented as number of teachers in Indian languages do not match the demand. “CBSE has brought the decision to implement it just before the schools reopen. What of the teachers we have already hired? Further, if a couple of students want to learn Malayalam, where are the teachers to teach them?” asked N. Vijayan, senior principal of Zion and Alwin Group of schools.

Pointing out that CBSE had approved their affiliate schools to take up English as a medium of instruction, Vijayan added that English as the foreign language must be removed so that students get a choice to pursue a language of their choice on foreign language.

This has forced many schools to rely on their already existing options and introduce Sanskrit language as the third language. Hence, schools in the city have decided to wait for the Supreme Court decision, which is scheduled for mid-July when court reopens after vacation. But parents point out that it would still cause a massive disruption as it will come in the middle of the school year.

Raghu (name changed), a parent of a Class 7 student adds that their child can’t opt for her mother tongue Konkani as there are neither teachers nor textbooks. “She will be forced to take Hindi. This indirect imposition of the Hindi language due to abrupt implementation violates our fundamental rights,” he added.