The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is developing a multilingual teacher training model that would prepare undergraduate, postgraduate and research students at its university to teach more than one language in schools.
The proposed programmes will combine language proficiency with the teaching skills required to handle multiple languages in classrooms. The initiative is intended to help schools expand the range of languages offered to students, particularly where enrolment in an individual language is too low to justify appointing a separate teacher.
“The idea is to address one of the practical challenges schools face while expanding language choices. A school may have only a small number of students opting for one particular Indian language,” an official notification cited by NCERT said.
The model will focus on both academic command of a language and the ability to teach it. Speaking multiple languages alone would not be sufficient; trainees would need the knowledge and pedagogical skills to teach those languages in a classroom.
NCERT has yet to finalise key details, including how many languages a teacher could be trained to teach, the proficiency required in each language and the programme's implementation timeline. Admissions criteria and course duration have also not been announced.
The proposal aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasises multilingualism and encourages the use of students' home languages, mother tongues and regional languages in education, particularly during the foundational years.
NCERT's new academic framework follows its recognition as an institution deemed to be a university, giving it scope to develop degree and research programmes. The proposed multilingual teacher training model is part of its wider academic expansion.
The initiative aims to help schools accommodate students' language choices while addressing practical constraints in recruiting language teachers. Its implementation will depend on the final course structure and the standards set for language proficiency and teaching competence.
