KOCHI: A seemingly hurried implementation of new policies like the three-language and on-screen marking (OSM) systems by the CBSE has turned academics into a messy affair for students, parents, and school management associations alike.

The situation is such that these key stakeholders have written to the board, seeking a reconsideration of the policies. Parents and students have also filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court, challenging CBSE’s new policy mandating the learning of three languages for Class 9 students.

This is happening even as the board is drawing flak for the glitches associated with the OSM evaluation system, which has left lakhs of students anxious about their eligibility for higher education due to a serious drop in percentages.

Speaking to TNIE, Elizabeth, whose son studies in Class 9 of a prominent CBSE school in Kochi, says, “The government should not compel students. Students should be given open options without any internal compulsion. The new decision to implement the three-language system in Class 9 comes as a bolt from the blue.”

She pointed out that when it comes to languages, nearly all students find it tough to learn Hindi. “Even as they were struggling to learn Hindi, the board has now added another burden on their shoulders.

The students will have to learn a new language, and that too at a juncture when they are preparing themselves for the boards in Class X,” Elizabeth added. According to Soniya Roshan, whose daughter studies in Class 9, the new announcement comes as a sharp reversal of CBSE’s earlier position communicated on April 9 this year.

“Then, CBSE had clarified that the third language requirement (R3) would not apply to Class 9 students until the academic session 2029-30. The schools, students, and parents had planned their academic year relying on that representation. This sudden change, barely weeks before the implementation, has us and our children very concerned,” she said.

According to Vishal D, another parent, teaching high school students more languages will not help with any progress in their main stream subjects.

“In all English medium schools, all subjects except languages are taught in English. Forcing any student to study anything new at the high school level creates an unnecessary academic burden and stress,” he said.

Raju Davis Perepadan, general secretary, Kerala CBSE School Management Association (KCSMA), had this to say:

“While we fully acknowledge and support the board’s commitment to multilingual education and the spirit of the National Education Policy 2020, we respectfully urge the board to reconsider the timeline and modality of this implementation, particularly as it affects students who have been pursuing a foreign language as their second language (R2) during their middle school years (Classes 6 to 8).

The notification mandating three languages for Grade 9 from AY 2026–27, issued with limited advance notice, now requires these students to discontinue their current R2 and, in many interpretations, adopt a new regional/Indian language as R2 starting Grade 9 — a language they may have had no prior exposure to.”

According to him, students are set to enter Class 9 in June with little to no background in the newly mandated R2. “For this particular batch, the board examinations for Grade 10 are scheduled in March 2028, leaving students barely 20 months to attain the level of language proficiency required to perform satisfactorily in a board-level examination. This is an unrealistic expectation for any learner beginning a language from scratch, and runs counter to established principles of second language acquisition,” Raju added.

OSM mess lands Class 12 students in soup

The on-screen marking (OSM) system is another mess that has landed students in a grave situation. According to MP John Brittas’ communique to CBSE, lakhs of Class 12 students are facing severe anxiety due to falling pass percentages, technical glitches in the revaluation portal, and the new OSM evaluation system.

Many students who cleared competitive entrance exams like JEE and NEET reportedly failed to secure the minimum marks in their CBSE examinations. “Also, when it comes to revaluation, the current framework allows for marks to decrease as well as increase, placing students at risk of losing their original scores,” Brittas highlighted in his letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

KCSMA submitted a representation to the Union education minister, pointing out the unhappiness prevailing among the CBSE student community after the declaration of the latest Class 12 board examination results evaluated through the newly implemented OSM system.

This story is reported by Anu Kuruvilla