Patna: Students of Classes 1 and 2 in government schools across Bihar will study one regional language from the next academic session, as the state government plans to strengthen mother tongue-based education at the primary level.

The initiative will cover six languages — Bhojpuri, Magahi, Surjapuri, Bajjika, Maithili and Angika. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has been asked to prepare textbooks in these languages.

Bihar Education Minister Mithlesh Tiwary said the decision was taken in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which recommends using the home language, mother tongue, local or regional language as the medium of instruction at least up to Class 5.

"The decision to introduce one regional language for students of Classes 1 and 2 has been taken under the provisions of the NEP," Tiwary told PTI.

He added that the arrangement would later be extended to students of Classes 3 to 5, with textbooks being developed for these grades as well.

SCERT Director Yatendra Kumar Pal said the council was preparing textbooks in all six languages for the first two classes.

"We are developing textbooks in the six regional languages for classes 1 and 2. The textbooks are being prepared in consultation with teachers and experts of these languages. This will be introduced from the next academic session," he told PTI.

Jainendra Kumar Dost, an SCERT lecturer coordinating workshops to finalise the textbooks, said the council had recently held one workshop and would organise two more to complete the process.

"The objective of the government's decision is to provide learners opportunities to acquire knowledge through regional languages, in accordance with the recommendations of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023, in the light of the NEP- 2020," he said.

Dost said the move would also support efforts to preserve and promote regional languages.

"Learners will have opportunities to converse in their local languages, enabling them to adopt the school's culture more easily and naturally," he said.

He added that children would get opportunities to connect their learning with local culture, festivals, fairs, occupations, agriculture and farming. This, he said, would help improve their self-confidence.

The NEP 2020 recommends that children be taught in their mother tongue or local language, wherever possible, at least until Class 5. The Bihar initiative aims to bring regional languages into early classroom learning while helping children connect school education with their everyday surroundings.

With inputs of PTI