The DMK-led coalition protests protested against Chennai’s trilingual policy on February 18, 2025. Image source: PTI
Story so far: Tamil Nadu’s resistance to the adoption of trilingual policies stipulated by the National Education Policy (NEP, 2020) restored the ancient language debate to the focus.
What statements does NEP 2020 have about language teaching?
The NEP was established after five years of consultation, replacing the previous education policy in 1986, saying that for students in public and private schools, the medium of teaching, until at least 5th grade, but preferably until 8th grade and above, will use the home language or native or native language or local language or local language or local language. Thereafter, where possible, the family or local language should continue to be taught as a language. Experts who wrote the NEP in 2020, led by K. Kasturirangan, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), suggest that young children learn and master non-trivial concepts faster in their family language or native language. The NEP 2020 document states: “Study clearly shows that children accept language very quickly between the ages of two and eight, and multilingualism has great cognitive benefits for young students, starting from the basic stage. To this end, bilingualism (native language as well as English) is encouraged in the NEP.
For example, in Haryana, preschool educators at Anganwadis use research materials such as colored textbooks to teach letters and numbers in Hindi and English, with Hindi and English fonts printed on the same page with vivid images.
What did Aises discover about the language taught in school?
The Eighth All India School Education Survey (AISES) conducted by the National Council on Education Research and Training (NCERT) remains the latest survey on teaching mediums and teaching languages across the country. It noted that even though most schools have native languages as a medium of teaching, the number of years has declined (between 2002 and 2009). The eighth survey indicated that in the primary stage, 86.62% of schools taught in their native language, compared with 92.07% in the seventh survey. The eighth Aise points to the urban rural divide, with 87.56% of schools in rural areas and 80.99% of schools in urban areas as a medium of teaching, compared with 92.39% in rural areas, and 90.39% in urban areas in the seventh survey.
What is a three-language formula?
The current three-language formula proposed by NEP 2020 is far from the previously published policy in 1968, which emphasizes Hindi, English and modern Indian languages (preferably Southern) (preferably Southern), Hindi and Hindi, English, English, and regional languages spoken to Hindi. By contrast, NEP 2020 points out that it provides greater flexibility in the three-language formula and that no language is imposed in any state. But this does encourage some language. The strategy document specifically covers the entire section to praise Sanskrit and uses it as a choice for the three-language formula. The policy document also continues that classical languages including classical Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia and Pali, Persian and Prakrit should be available as options.
In addition, NEP 2020 mentioned that in order to promote native language learning, high-quality textbooks including science will be provided in the home language/native language. To improve access to such educational materials, NCERT released a set of digital books in 2024 in 104 regional languages and dialects, including Bengali, Khandeshi, Tulu, Tulu, Ladakhi, Pashto, Pashto, Bhili, Dogri, Dogri, Lahuli, Lahuli (Pattani), Car Nicobarese, etc. NCERT officials said the responsibility of their respective Educational Research and Training Commissions (SCERT) helps to promote translation in their respective languages. Last year, Assam launched science and mathematics textbooks in English, Assamese, Bodo and Bengali after the NEP call. Andhra Pradesh has launched a bilingual textbook consisting of Telugu and English in 2023.
However, the implementation of the three-language formula is poor. For example, although former Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal was recorded in Tamil in 1969, the language was removed in 2010 due to the lack of Tamil speakers. Similarly, state education officials in Himaal Pradesh were unable to choose for Telugu and Tamil as languages because they were unable to find teachers in these languages.
What about foreign languages?
NEP 2020 points out that foreign languages such as Korean, Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian will also be available at the secondary school level. According to a plan developed by the Central Committee for Education (CBSE), students will learn two Indian languages until Level 10, in Level 11 and 12, they have the option to learn one Indian language and one foreign language.
publishing – March 10, 2025 at 08:30 am
