SC Considers Plea Against CBSE's Multilingual Education Policy for Class 9
The Supreme Court is examining a legal challenge against CBSE's mandate that requires Class 9 students to study three languages, including at least two native Indian ones. The policy aligns with NEP 2020 and NCF-SE 2023 but has raised concerns about implementation.
Highlights
- •Supreme Court agrees to review CBSE's Class 9 language mandate
- •NEP 2020 and NCF-SE 2023 guide the three-language policy
- •National Education Policy aims at modernizing education with linguistic diversity
- •NCERT to develop curricula supporting the new multilingual approach
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a legal challenge against the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) decision, which mandates that Class 9 students in India must study three languages, including at least two native Indian languages from July onwards. A bench consisting of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi has issued notices to the Centre, CBSE, and NCERT, requesting their responses within two weeks.
This new policy aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023. According to a recent circular from CBSE, the goal is to enhance students' linguistic skills and cultural understanding by incorporating multiple indigenous languages.
CBSE's Alignment with Policy Framework
The move aims to modernize educational standards while preserving India's rich linguistic heritage. By requiring two out of three languages to be native Indian, the policy addresses concerns about linguistic diversity and cultural identity.
However, this change has sparked debate among educators and parents over practical implementation and its effects on student workload and curriculum flexibility. Critics argue that it could lead to an overload in academic pressure, especially if students struggle with non-native tongues.
The Role of NCERT
NCERT will play a critical role in formulating guidelines that support this new policy. The body is tasked with developing curricula and resources to ensure smooth transition and effective language teaching, particularly focusing on linguistic diversity.
Meanwhile, the Centre (the government) and various stakeholders are closely monitoring the impact of these changes as they roll out across educational institutions nationwide.
