Under the new Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) three-language policy, foreign languages are set to lose place in school curricula, as institutions move to comply with revised norms.
From the 2026–27 academic session, students in Class 6 will be required to study three languages. As per the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023, at least two of these must be Indian languages, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Schools have begun adjusting to the policy change, however transition has not been smooth. Many are replacing foreign language options in Class 6 with Sanskrit or regional languages. “We had a strong preference for French among students, but under the new structure, we had to withdraw it as a formal option,” said a school principal in Delhi.
In several schools, students had already purchased textbooks for foreign languages before the new scheme was announced. “We introduced the change after the session had begun, so we are now looking at offering these languages as club activities to make use of existing resources,” another principal said.
The change has also created uncertainty for foreign language teachers. While they remain relevant in the short term, schools are unclear about long-term roles. Some institutions are encouraging teachers to upskill or qualify to teach other subjects.
State-specific rules add another layer of constraint. In Maharashtra, for instance, Marathi is compulsory, which effectively fixes one of the Indian language slots and narrows the remaining choice.
Foreign languages had seen strong uptake among students, particularly those planning higher education abroad. “Students interested in studying overseas still want exposure to languages like German and French. We may continue them as optional modules, but they will not be part of the core curriculum,” a school administrator said.
As implementation progresses, foreign languages are expected to be gradually phased out of the core curriculum in many CBSE schools, marking a clear shift towards strengthening Indian languages within the education system.