After receiving mixed responses on new National Education Policy (NEP), Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry now says new education policy does not say that private and public schools or boards and states will have to switch their medium of instruction from English to mother tongue/regional languages, reported Economic Times.
K Kasturirangan, chairman of the committee that recommended NEP, told Economic Times, education is a concurrent subject and states are free to decide on the matter. The policy does recommend mother tongue/local language/regional language as the medium of instruction as it is found best suited for better understanding and learning in children. He also said this, however, is not mandatory.
The three-language formula gives enough flexibility to states to choose the languages they wish to offer, he further added.
The Central government, on Wednesday, announced sweeping reforms under its new education policy that included teaching in mother tongue or regional language up to class 5, lowering the stakes of board exams, allowing foreign universities to set up campuses in India, a single regulator for higher education institutions except for law and medical colleges and common entrance tests for universities.
Elaborating on the reforms in school education at a media briefing, HRD Secretary Anita Karwal said, "Board exams will be low stake. The focus will be on testing concepts and knowledge application. Home language, mother tongue or regional language to be medium of instruction up to class 5." She further said "school curriculum will be reduced to core concepts and there will be integration of vocational education from class 6".
