‘Emphasis’ on Mother Tongue as Medium of Instruction Till 5th: NEP

The NEP 2020 has suggested emphasis on mother tongue till class 5 and recommended its use beyond class 8.

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The National Education Policy 2020 has ‘emphasised’ the use of mother tongue or local language as the medium of instruction till class 5 ,while recommending its continuance till class eight and beyond.

According to the policy, Sanskrit will be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an option for students, including in the three-language formula. Other classical languages and literature of India will also be available as options.

Although a statement issued by the Ministry of Education says that "no language will be imposed on any student," it is not clear to what extent a student will be able to choose a particular language.

According to the policy, students will participate in a fun project or activity on ‘The Languages of India’, sometime in Grades 6-8, such as, under the ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’ initiative.

Several foreign languages will also be offered at the secondary level. Indian Sign Language (ISL) will be standardised across the country, and national and state curriculum materials developed for use by students with hearing impairment.

Apart from focus on regional languages, students in class 6 will be introduced to internships and coding and all students will take school examinations in Grades 3, 5, and 8 which will be conducted by the appropriate authority.

Board exams for Grades 10 and 12 will be continued, but redesigned with holistic development as the aim.