Relaxing the three-language rule eases pressure while supporting the phased implementation of the NEP.
The Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) decision to relax rules on the mandatory three-language policy is a welcome and pragmatic step. Under the New Education Policy (NEP), students will have to study three languages — two Indian languages and one foreign language — from Class 6.
The broad objective behind exposing children to multiple languages may be well-intentioned. Learning a language will improve cultural awareness, communication skills and cognitive flexibility. However, education policy must also recognise the limits of classroom time, student capacity and career relevance.
The exemption announced for the current batch of Class 10 students, and for students studying Classes 7 to 9 this academic year, is, therefore, commendable. It will not compel students to appear for a board examination in a third language when they reach Class 10, and it protects lakhs of students from an abrupt academic burden. For many of the students, who are preparing for crucial subjects that shape future choices, adding a new language at a late stage would have meant additional pressure without proportionate benefit.
As schools need trained teachers, suitable textbooks, realistic timetables and preparation time, the new exemption will allow them to plan the implementation of the three-language policy organically from Class 6. It will save lakhs of students from being forced to learn a new language. A phased approach is more sensible than enforcing a uniform rule that may punish students for institutional unreadiness.
The larger question, however, remains unanswered. Should passing a third-language examination be made compulsory for promotion or board certification? The answer should be no. A student could be made to learn a language as it will allow them to communicate with different groups of people. But it does not require making the student undergo a rigorous study of a language for four years. Even if schools are required to teach three languages under the NEP, the government should not make passing language examinations compulsory to promote students to the next class.
Technological advancements are taking the world towards greater specialisation. Students, therefore, today need strong foundations in areas aligned with their interests, whether science, mathematics, literature, design, commerce, coding, music, sports or entrepreneurship. However, the three-language policy will unnecessarily eat up students’ time with subjects which they could have chosen based on their own interests.
The government also needs to understand that a student who wants to make a career in science may not show interest in studying the nitty-gritties of grammar. Similarly, a student who wishes to be a poet will rarely show interest in trigonometry or genetics. This does not mean that one discipline is superior to another. It only means that education must respect the diversity of talent.
India’s education system has long suffered from excessive standardisation. Every student is pushed through the same academic pipeline, often without any consideration for the student’s aspirations. The three-language policy must not become another instrument of such misguided standardisation. The government, therefore, should make schools identify students’ talent and groom them towards specialisation, instead of pushing schools for the aggressive implementation of the three-language policy.
