Schools Face Challenges As CBSE Mandates Mother-Tongue Teaching
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has directed all affiliated schools to start mapping the mother tongues of students from pre-primary to class 5. This is seen as a push to introduce mother tongue-based teaching at the foundational level, aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Currently, English is the dominant language of instruction in most CBSE schools, numbering around 30,000 across India. However, a recent CBSE circular released on May 22 asked schools to start using the child’s home language or a familiar regional language, referred to as ‘R1’, as the primary medium of instruction, especially from pre-primary to class 2.
As per the circular, R1 should ideally be the child’s mother tongue. In cases where that’s not feasible, a familiar state or regional language can be used instead. For classes 3 to 5, students either continue with R1 or are introduced to a second language of instruction (R2).
Read also: UP Governor Directs 100% Enrolment For Ages 6-10 In Schools And Urgent Action On School Dropouts
The National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023 advocates for the use of the mother tongue in the foundational years, up to the age of eight, to deepen comprehension and concept learning. The NCFSE highlights that children understand and retain concepts more effectively when taught in a language they naturally speak at home.
Schools have been instructed to form NCF implementation committees by the end of May. These committees will be responsible for language mapping, identifying teaching resources, and overseeing curriculum adjustments. Teacher training workshops will also be conducted to equip educators with strategies for multilingual teaching and language-sensitive assessment.
CBSE schools need to submit monthly progress reports starting in July, and academic observers may visit institutions to offer guidance and support.
Reportedly, many schools have outrightly said it impossible to implement in the given time frame. Several school principals have said that they have students from diverse lignuistic backgrounds and practically impossible to teach in multiple languages in one classroom.
Read also: Rajit Gupta Tops JEE Advanced 2025; Devdatta Majhi Leads Girls
Also, lack of clarity over the assessment language creates confusion in schools. While NCERT has released foundational level textbooks in various languages, schools do not have teachers trained to teach in all those languages. It is also impractical to hire multiple teachers for the same subject just based on language proficiency.
