REFORMS IN EDUCATION

Why in the News?

The dreams of many Indian students seeking to pursue professional courses in their mother tongue can be realised.

Background

• Education is fundamental for achieving full human potential, developing an equitable and just society, and promoting national development.
• Providing universal access to quality education is the key to India’s continued ascent, and leadership on the global stage in terms of economic growth, social justice and equality, scientific advancement, national integration, and cultural preservation.
• Universal high-quality education is the best way forward for developing and maximizing our country's rich talents and resources for the good of the individual, the society, the country, and the world. India will have the highest population of young people in the world over the next decade, and our ability to provide high-quality educational opportunities to them will determine the future of our country.
• The global education development agenda reflected in the Goal 4 (SDG4) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by India in 2015 - seeks to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030.

Key vision of the National Education Policy

• This National Education Policy envisions an education system rooted in Indian ethos that contributes directly to transforming India, that is Bharat, sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society, by providing high-quality education to all, and thereby making India a global knowledge superpower.
• The Policy envisages that the curriculum and pedagogy of our institutions must develop among the students a deep sense of respect towards the Fundamental Duties and Constitutional values, bonding with one’s country, and a conscious awareness of one’s roles and responsibilities in a changing world.

Multilingualism and the power of language

• It is well understood that young children learn and grasp nontrivial concepts more quickly in their home language/mother tongue.
• Home language is usually the same language as the mother tongue or that which is spoken by local communities.
• However, at times in multilingual families, there can be a home language spoken by other family members which may sometimes be di erent from mother tongue or local language.
• Wherever possible, the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language.
• Thereafter, the home/local language shall continue to be taught as a language wherever possible.
• This will be followed by both public and private schools, colleges and universities.
• High-quality textbooks, including in science, will be made available in home languages/mother tongue.
• All efforts will be made early on to ensure that any gaps that exist between the language spoken by the child and the medium of teaching are bridged.
• In cases where home language/mother tongue textbook material is not available, the language of transaction between teachers and students will still remain the home language/mother tongue wherever possible.
• Teachers will be encouraged to use a bilingual approach.
• All languages will be taught with high quality to all students; a language does not need to be the medium of instruction for it to be taught and learned well.
• As so many developed countries around the world have amply demonstrated, being well educated in one’s language, culture, and traditions is not a detriment but indeed a huge benefit to educational, social, and technological advancement.
• India’s languages are among the richest, most scientific, most beautiful, and most expressive in the world, with a huge body of ancient as well as modern literature (both prose and poetry), film, and music written in these languages that help form India’s national identity and wealth.
• For purposes of cultural enrichment as well as national integration, all young Indians should be aware of the rich and vast array of languages of their country, and the treasures that they and their literature contain.

Indian literature

• India also has an extremely rich literature in other classical languages, including classical Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia.
• In addition to these classical languages Pali, Persian, and Prakrit; and their works of literature too must be preserved for their richness and for the pleasure and enrichment of posterity.
• As India becomes a fully developed country, the next generation will want to partake in and be enriched by India’s extensive and beautiful classical literature.
• In addition to Sanskrit, other classical languages and literatures of India, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Pali, Persian, and Prakrit, will also be widely available in schools as options for students, possibly as online modules, through experiential and innovative approaches, to ensure that these languages and literature stay alive and vibrant.
• Similar e orts will be made for all Indian languages having rich oral and written literatures, cultural traditions, and knowledge.