In accordance with provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP), which emphasises the use of Indian languages, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to utilise the mother tongue as an optional medium of teaching up to Class XII. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan lauded this decision on Saturday, July 22.
The CBSE in a July 21 circular informed of this move. Mother tongue will be used as a medium of instruction for students from pre-primary to Class XII in addition to other existing options. The board also asked the schools to explore available resources and consult with experts in the field to share best practices to make multilingual education in CBSE schools a reality.
Previously, the Ministry of Education and the National Council of Education, Research and Training (NCERT) have taken measures to introduce education in multiple languages.
The main objective of the move is that the students learn the subjects properly without any doubt and language should not be a barrier in his learning, Pradhan said. He added that the move will enhance critical thinking among students, as per a report by IANS.
Up till the present, CBSE-affiliated schools used Hindi or English as a medium for teaching. Now the schools can teach students in all languages recognised under the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution in a phased manner, the education minister informed.
BJP President JP Nadda also praised this move on Saturday, stating that it was a major step towards making education more holistic and inclusive. "It is scientifically proven that cognitive learning in the initial years, is the fastest in the native language," he tweeted, as per another report by PTI.
