Question : REGIONAL LANGUAGES IN SCHOOLS

(a) whether many educational institutions like Kendriya Vidyalayas and schools run by the Department of Atomic Energy located in Karnataka State do not teach the local/regional language i.e. Kannada at primary level;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the provisions for encouraging local languages provided in the national curriculum framework;

(d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the corrective measures taken by the Government in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI M.A.A. FATMI)

(a) & (b) Kendriya Vidyalayas located in Karnataka State teach English and Hindi at primary level as the Vidyalayas are primarily meant for children of transferable Central Government employees.

Atomic Energy Education Society has intimated that their schools in Karnataka being English Medium Schools, are teaching English as first language & Hindi as the second language.

(c) to (e) The National Curriculum Framework – 2005, provides the following guidelines on language education:-


(i) Language teaching needs to be multilingual not only in terms of the number of languages offered to children but also in terms of evolving strategies that would use the multilingual classroom as a resource.


(ii) Home language(s) of children should be the medium of learning in schools.


(iii) If a school does not have provisions for teaching in the child’s home languages(s) at the higher levels, primary school education still be covered through the home language(s). It is imperative that due honor is paid to the child’s home language(s). According to Article 350A of Constitution of India, “It shall be the endeavor of every State and of every local authority within the State to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother- tongue at the primary stage of education to children belonging to linguistic minority groups.”

(iv) Children will receive multilingual education from the outset. The three-language formula needs to be implemented in its spirit, promoting multilingual communicative abilities for a multilingual country.


(v) In the non-Hindi-speaking states, children learn Hindi. In the case of Hindi speaking states, children learn a language not spoken in their area. Sanskrit may also be studied as a Modern Indian Language (MIL) in addition to these languages.


(vi) At later stages, study of classical and foreign languages may be introduced.