Educationists uneasy over introduction of 3rd language in class 1

Time of India

22-04-2025

Mumbai: The state govt's decision to introduce the
three-language formula
right from Grade 1 runs contrary to the
National Curriculum Framework
's approach: the third language, it says, belongs to the middle stage of schooling.
The govt's announcement has perplexed educationists, who question the resources available for teaching languages and the purpose behind the decision. "Who says that Maharashtra has enough Hindi teachers?" asked a former senior education officer.
Those who followed the making of the school education policy recalled that only last year, the state had released its draft curriculum framework which promised two languages—Marathi and English—from Grade 1, and a third—be it Hindi, Sanskrit, a regional tongue, or even a foreign one—starting in Grade 6. Public feedback was sought. A press note followed on May 27, 2024, reaffirming the same structure and stages.
Under the national framework, language curricular goals for foundational years say, "Children develop effective communication skills for day-to-day interactions in two languages. Children develop fluency in reading and writing in language 1. Children begin to read and write in language 2." There is no mention of a third language in these early years.
"This wasn't just policy. It was pedagogy," said Avnita Bir, Principal-Director of R N Podar School, a CBSE institute. "We used to offer two languages in grade 1, but when Maharashtra made Marathi compulsory, we included that too. Now, we're offering three from the start?"
Educationists pointed out that before 2000, children began with one language in Grade 1—their medium of instruction. In the early 2000s, a second language was added—English was introduced in all non-English medium schools and Marathi in all non-Marathi medium schools using English, Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Kannada, etc as medium of instruction. "It was introduced gently and playfully. No exams, no notebooks. Just familiarity. The syllabus was crafted very carefully," said Dhanavanti Hardikar, who headed Balbharti's language section.
"For 25 years, this worked. And now, without warning, we're told to bring in a third language at Grade 1," Hardikar added. "This wasn't in the state's curriculum framework. A third language at Grade 1 should not be introduced at all, but if the state is adamant, it has to be through the play-way method, with no written work, no exams, and a huge tolerance towards students' errors."
Vasant Kalpande, former state board chairman, said, "Instead of rushing in new languages, we need to focus on making sure what we teach is actually taught well."