National Desk, 23rd July: In accordance with the National Education Policy, 2020, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made a substantial advancement in favour of multilingual education. The board has instructed its linked schools to think about offering Indian languages as a choice for instruction.
This action aims to promote language variety among students and embrace the nation’s unique linguistic heritage. Joseph Emmanuel, the Director (Academic) of the CBSE, emphasised the significance of this initiative and proposed that, in addition to the current options, Indian languages listed in Schedule 8 of the Indian Constitution could be integrated as mediums of instruction from the foundational stage through the end of secondary education (pre-kindergarten through class 12).
Despite the initiative’s immense potential, CBSE acknowledged a number of issues that must be resolved for its implementation to be successful. The lack of qualified teachers who are capable of teaching different courses in many languages is a significant barrier. It is crucial to have educators who are proficient in the chosen Indian languages and knowledgeable about the things they teach to enable efficient instruction.
The development of excellent bilingual textbooks presents another key challenge. It takes skill and careful study to create content that adheres to varied linguistic preferences while maintaining academic rigour.
The two-shift government schools’ time restrictions are another obstacle to the seamless integration of bilingual instruction. To overcome these restrictions, adequate planning and resource allocation will be essential.
Despite the obstacles, CBSE has urged schools to collaborate and pool available resources to effectively execute the multilingual education initiative. This collaborative approach will not only facilitate the sharing of best practices but also create a supportive environment for the successful adoption of Indian languages as mediums of instruction.
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