Parents and Teachers Express Resentment Over CBSE's Three-Language Formula; Order Issued for Implementation from July 1..

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a directive to implement the 'Three-Language Formula' in all schools across the country, effective from July 1st. This decision has been taken in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education.

According to the CBSE directive, students in schools will now be required to study a third foreign language in addition to two Indian languages. Furthermore, the CBSE has categorized English as a foreign language. Consequently, students may now opt to study a foreign language—such as Japanese, Korean, French, or German—as their third language, in addition to English.

**Students and Parents Express Opposition**

Following this decision by the CBSE, anxiety has mounted among students who wish to pursue a foreign language of their choice. Under the new rules, however, students can now only study such a language as a *fourth* language—provided, of course, that the specific language is offered by their school. Since the announcement of this decision, students, parents, and teachers have been continuously voicing their opposition to it. Parents argue that this move will place undue additional pressure on the children.

**Three Years of German Language Preparation**

A Class 9 student residing in Delhi harbors a dream of working for a prestigious automobile company in Germany. To this end, he has been learning German for the past three years, to pursue engineering studies and eventually work in Germany. However, in light of the CBSE's recent decision, his father expressed his dismay, asking: "My son has dedicated three years to studying German; how can he possibly be expected to switch gears and begin studying Sanskrit starting from Class 9?"

**Additional Pressure on Children**

The mother of another Class 9 student remarked that, under this new regulation, her son might be forced to discontinue his study of French. She noted that this places him in a predicament where he is now compelled to learn a new language at a time when he should instead be focusing his attention on his core academic subjects. She further asserted that this rule would undoubtedly impose additional pressure on the students, emphasizing that learning a new language is significantly easier when introduced during the foundational stages of education. CBSE should have introduced this between Classes I and V, as learning a new language is much easier at that stage.

**The Rule Should Have Been Implemented from Class 6**

This decision by CBSE is having the greatest impact on students who were studying a foreign language. Abhilasha, the mother of a student, stated that instead of making this change abruptly, CBSE should have implemented it gradually. She further added that this rule should have been enforced starting from Class 6. "My daughter has chosen English as her first language, and she can study Hindi as her Indian language. But what will be her second language? She has been learning German for the past three years."

**What School Administrators Said**

Following the implementation of this CBSE rule, school administrators have stated that they will need to add 6 to 7 extra periods per week for the second language. This will inevitably lead to changes in the school timetable. Furthermore, periods allocated for sports, library sessions, and life skills will also be affected. Additionally, the school will need to recruit qualified teachers to teach these other languages, which could place an additional financial burden on the institution.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Dainik Jagran. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.