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Guwahati, July 23: In a notification issued by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) it has urged all the affiliated schools across the country to consider using Indian languages as optional mediums of instruction to make multilingual education a reality.
The decision was taken in accordance to the National Education Police (NEP), 2020 which emphasizes the significant cognitive advantages of multilingualism for young learners, particularly when they are exposed to multiple languages from foundation stage, with a specific focus on their mother tongue.
As per the notification, the board’s proposal recommends using Indian languages listed in Schedule 8 of the Indian Constitution as a medium of instruction from pre-primary classes up to class 12, students can choose to study in their mother tongue or any other Indian language, alongside the existing options. The move aims to empower students to learn in languages they are comfortable with and foster a deeper connection with their culture and heritage.
“The CBSE affiliated schools may consider using Indian languages, as enumerated in the Schedule 8 of the Indian Constitution, as the medium of instruction from foundation stage till end of Secondary Stage as optional medium in addition to other existing options. Schools may explore available resources, consult with experts in the field, and collaborate with other schools to share best practices to make multilingual education in CBSE schools a reality,” said the notification.
Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan informed that 22 languages including Odia will be the medium of instruction in CBSE schools. Till now the medium of instruction was Hindi and English, the inclusion of Indian languages will help the students understand the subject better. Pradhan said schools will make provisions for study in these languages and NCERT has also been asked to prepare textbooks accordingly. He said the new mediums of instruction from classes 1 to 12 were added under the provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP).