A language ladder for an education roadblock

Context: Post the emphasis on native languages in NEP, 2020, the dreams of many Indian students seeking to pursue professional courses in their mother tongue can be realised.

Significance of emphasising native languages in the education system

• Benefits students:
  • Demand and accessibility: As per a survey conducted by AICTE in Feb 2021, 44% of students voted in favour of studying engineering in their mother tongue.
  • Towards overall development: It improves the learning outcomes and facilitates the development of his/her cognitive faculties.
  • Equity and confidence:  Thus, learning in native languages could reverse the sense of inferiority and instil confidence in students from poor, rural and tribal backgrounds. UNESCO and other organisations emphasise that learning in the mother tongue is germane to building self-esteem and self-identity.
• Empowering the education system:
  • Democratisation of science and academic education: Sir C.V. Raman observed, “We must teach science in our mother tongue. Otherwise, science will become a highbrow activity. It will not be an activity in which all people can participate...”.
  • Addressing cultural divide in the education system: Our education system remained content with creating a small bubble of English-medium universities and colleges while our own languages languish, especially when it comes to technical and professional courses.
• Socio-cultural significance: If we neglect a language, not only do we lose a priceless body of knowledge but also risk depriving future generations of their cultural roots and social and linguistic heritage.

Way forward: 

• From ‘Mother tongue versus English’ to ‘Mother tongue plus English’ approach: In an interconnected world, proficiency in different languages opens new vistas to a wider world, but what is essential is a strong foundation in the mother tongue.
• Build on these initiatives:
• Starting from the native language in primary education, it shall be scaled up gradually. In higher education, private universities must join hands and offer a few bilingual courses.
• Leverage technology: Content in the digital learning ecosystem is greatly skewed towards English which excludes the vast majority of our children (in remote areas), and this has to be corrected through technology.