On Tuesday, the Kerala government made it mandatory for all schools in the state to teach Malayalam up to Class X. If any schools fail to toe the line, they would be fined. Schools that fine students for speaking Malayalam would also invite fines from the government.
CBSE/ICSE schools are understandably seeing red over the government's move. They had contended that many students from outside the state study at these schools and the new law would affect them adversely. And the proposed fine has come as a big jolt to many among them.
However, giving in to the repeated crusades of the CBSE schools for the right of the students from other states, the government has exempted the students from the purview of the new law.
Though the ordinance has got the Governor's assent, the ordinance lacks clarity on many points
- If all the students until Class X have to learn Malayalam, what would happen to the language choice option from Class IX? At present, a CBSE student needs to learn only one language apart from English in Classes IX and X. If Malayalam is made mandatory, would that mean they don't have the option to study any other language from now on?
- According to a CBSE school representative, the government says its just mandatory for the students to attend classes in Malayalam and have the option not to write the exams in Classes IX and X. The representative asks why would a Class X student spend 4-5 hours a week on a subject that is not a part of their Board exams
- An endearing feature of CBSE has been the flexibility that it offered its students. The opportunity to study their language of choice stood testimony to this. What happens to the rights of a Malayali student who chooses not to study his mother tongue, but wants to study a foreign language instead? Does he have to write an extra paper too?
