The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made a significant move towards allowing affiliated schools to use mother tongue as an optional medium of instruction from pre-primary stages to Class 12.
The decision has been taken in accordance with the provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 that emphasizes the cognitive advantages of multilingualism for young learners, especially when they are exposed to multiple languages from a young age, with a focus on their mother tongue.
CBSE-affiliated schools now have the option to use Indian languages listed in Schedule 8 of the Indian Constitution as the medium of instruction from the foundational stage to the end of the secondary stage. This means that mother tongue can be used as an optional medium of instruction from pre-primary classes to Class XII, in addition to other existing options.
However, the board also acknowledges the challenges of implementing multilingual education, such as the availability of skilled teachers, textbooks, and time. Schools are encouraged to explore available resources, consult with experts, and collaborate with other schools to share best practices.
In line with this move, the Education Ministry has directed the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to prepare new textbooks in 22 scheduled languages. These new textbooks are expected to be available to students from the next academic session.
The higher education sector has also taken steps to promote the use of Indian languages, including producing textbooks in these languages and using them as mediums of instruction and examination. CBSE emphasizes that the approach towards the medium of instruction should be a continuity from school education to higher education.