Use any Indian language as optional medium, says CBSE

Source: The post is based on the article “Use any Indian language as optional medium, says CBSE”  published in The Hindu on 22nd July 2023.

What is the News?

Central Board of Secondary Education(CBSE) has allowed affiliated schools to use Indian Languages as an optional medium of instruction from pre-primary stages to Class 12.

What does the National Education policy say on the use of Indian Languages as a medium of instruction in schools?

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisages the use of mother tongue or regional or Indian languages as the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, and preferably till Grade 8 and beyond.

The policy also highlights the significant cognitive advantages of multilingualism for young learners, particularly when they were exposed to several languages from the foundational stage.

What are the challenges in the use of mother tongue as a medium of instruction in schools?

There are several challenges such as: 1) availability of skilled teachers capable of teaching in multilingual settings 2) creation of high-quality multilingual textbooks and 3) limited time available, especially in two-shift government schools as multilingual education demands additional instructional time allocation.

What are the steps the government is taking to promote multilingual education?

The Ministry of Education has directed the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to prepare textbooks in the 22 Scheduled Languages of the country.