Lip Service to Bhasha

Context: NEP 2020 fails to tackle the issue of inequity that arises out of the medium of instruction.

The Medium of Instruction 

• It has been a way of perpetuating class and caste structures in India. 
• Hindi is not a compulsory language in South Indian states. 
• Mother-tongue or the regional language is the preferred mode of instruction till Class 5.

Issues with Bhasha School 

• The quality of education: in bhasha schools have deteriorated. 
• There is a shift from bhasha schools: to English-medium schools 
• Perpetuates inequality: Children from the Bahujan samaj suffer from two handicaps in bhasha school
• Extremely poor quality of education in most bhasha schools 
• In absence of tradition of education in their families, they find it very difficult to compete.
• Higher education system is loaded against the bhasha medium students: especially at the UPSC level.
• The bhasha medium students: do not get the coveted jobs leading to a rise in the disparity between them and English medium school.
• NEP reinforces the status quo i.e: English-medium schools will continue as they are, rather more of them will sprout. 

Way Forward

• Early exposure to Basic English in bhasha schools could make learning the language later much easier. 
• Make special funds available for English-teaching at panchayat or Zila Parishad level schools.