Mother Tongue in School

The CBSE has recently released guidelines to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s recommendation to teach children in their mother tongue or regional language till Class 5. However, the board has clarified that schools, especially in metros with linguistic diversity, will be given time and support to gradually adopt this change.

What does the policy say?

• The NEP 2020 recommends that children be taught in their mother tongue/local language till at least Grade 5, and preferably till Grade 8, to help them learn concepts better at a foundational stage.
• CBSE’s new guideline is aimed at putting this into practice, but not through immediate enforcement.

Challenges in Implementation

• Linguistic Diversity in Metros: In metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Pune, students come from diverse linguistic backgrounds — Marathi, Bengali, Telugu, Assamese, Urdu, Hindi, etc.
• A single school may have to cater to multiple mother tongues, making multilingual instruction logistically difficult.
• Dialect Variations: Even within a single language, students may speak different dialects. For example, Bihar has Magahi, Bajjika, Angika, and Awadhi, making it hard to choose one standard medium.
• Curriculum & Resource Gaps: Developing subject-specific textbooks and training teachers to deliver non-language subjects like Maths and Science in different mother tongues is a huge task.
• Teacher Training and Capacity: Teachers trained in English-medium instruction may not be proficient in teaching complex subjects in regional languages.
• Parental Preferences: Many parents prefer English-medium education for better career prospects, making the shift to mother tongue instruction controversial in urban areas.

CBSE’s Response and Strategy

• No Penalty for Delay: CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh clarified that schools will not be penalised or lose affiliation if they take time to implement the language shift.
• Phased Rollout: Emphasis on flexibility. Implementation is expected to be gradual and adapted to local needs.
• Language Mapping Exercise: Schools have been asked to map the language preferences of their students. For instance, if most children in a class speak Kannada, Maths or EVS can be taught in Kannada.
• Webinars and Training Workshops: CBSE is conducting training sessions to help schools prepare curriculum, teacher support, and pedagogical materials.
• Class-Specific Focus: The current guideline is only for up to Class 5. Language decisions for senior classes will be framed later based on NCERT’s revised curriculum under the National Curriculum Framework (NCF).

Ground Reality from Schools

• Vibgyor Roots and Rise School, Pune: Of 1,190 students, 60% speak Marathi, but the rest come from diverse linguistic backgrounds. The school says it will need a detailed strategy to handle curriculum and instruction in multiple languages.