CBSE Asks Schools To Begin Teaching In Child’s Mother Tongue

Hyderabad:In a circular to affiliated schools, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) said children should be taught in the language that they are most familiar with — preferably mother tongue or state language — from nursery to Grade 2, from the forthcoming academic year 2025-26. The new language instruction policy follows the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023.

Though students will be taught a second spoken language, reading fluency, sentence construction and expression will focus on their mother tongue during the foundational years.

For students between class 3 and 5, the circular stated that the mother tongue or state language can be continued as the medium of instruction. Children will be provided an option to shift to the second spoken language as medium of instruction, if they have foundational literacy in it. It also mandates that at least one Indian language should be offered as the medium of instruction up to Grade 12.

The board directed all schools to constitute a national curriculum framework implementation committee by the end of May 2025, which will be responsible for mapping students' mother tongues, and guiding curriculum adjustments.

By the end of the summer break, the schools will have to complete realignment of the curriculum and teaching material to reflect the use of mother tongue or state language as the medium of Instruction. The implementation will commence from July.

The measure drew responses. “Young children will be able to understand easily when they are taught in a language familiar to them from childhood, and make them learn comfortably. It is a good move by the CBSE because everyone should know the local language which they are living in,” said K. Bhavani, principal, Meridian School. “It also becomes useful for students from other states to understand the state language for survival. In our school we have been implementing Telugu as a medium of instruction up to class 5,” she added.

An official from Kendriya Vidyalaya said, “All subjects will be taught in mother tongue or state language. For example, a Hindi lesson will be explained in Telugu at the foundation level.” The official mentioned that the Kendriya Vidyala head office was collecting data of the most spoken and familiar language in each state, and the medium of instruction will be decided after collecting data by the committee. Teachers will be trained, as per the guidelines.

“Till class 2, schools will teach in the state language and English. The problem is within schools as the teachers will be from different states and might be not familiar with the state language. So initially there will be some problems, as the schools will have to hire teachers who can teach in the local language,” said Dr B. Ebenezar, Vice Chairperson, Hyderabad Sahodaya Schools complex.

“It is a very good idea, when it is started at a young age. Students can learn the language, but not preferred in the mid classes, " said Shruti Jagadesh, a parent. “My son is studying in grade 7. It is not necessary and possible to choose the mother tongue, even if he tries it will take him almost a year to learn the basics.”

“Until a child gets proficiency in learning, it is good to learn in their mother tongue simultaneously in English,” said another parent S.Rajender.

A student, P .Rajeswari, studying in class 7, said, “I will be choosing English as the medium of instruction because from my childhood I did not have the reading skills of Telugu. So it will be difficult to choose the state language.”

“For me I don’t think it is a right idea to start teaching in my mother tongue, because today the world runs in English and one should have a good command over English to secure jobs,” said another student M. Sai Saketh.