LANGUAGE AND
EDUCATION POLICY IN INDIA
There are a large number
of languages used by the people of India and such the language policy of India
protects the plurality of Indian languages and preserves it. The 1991 census of
India recognized 1576 languages in the various states and regions of India used
as mother tongues. A single has never been used in the Indian sub-continent.
The language of the rulers to a large extent determined the language of the
government. When India got its independent in 1947, Hindi had been decided as
the official language in the center. Prior to this decision, during the British
regime, English happened to be the official language all over the country. This
change over of the official language from English to Hindi had been opposed by
everyone, especially by the people of the southern states. Hence resolution was
passed in the parliament that Hindi would be replace English as official
language over a period of fifteen years and till then it was decided to
continue English as Associate Official Language of the government.
1.4.1
NATIONAL POLICY ON EDUCATION (NPE)
The National Policy on
Education (NPE) is a policy formulated by the government of India to promote
education among the Indians. The policy covers all educational institutions
from primary schools to colleges both in rural and urban India. The first
National Policy o Education was promulgated in 1968 by Prime Minister Smt.
Indira Gandhi’s government and the second by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
government in 1986.
Ever since independence in
1947 the Indian government sponsored a number of programmes to address the
problem of illiteracy both in rural and urban India. The University Education Commission (1948-‘49) and the Secondary Education Commission
(1952-‘53) were established by the union government to modernize India’s
education system. In 1961, the union government, under the leadership of Prime
Minister Jawaharlal Nehru formed the National
Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) as an autonomous
organization that would advise both the union and state governments on framing
and implementing educational policies.
National
Policy on Education (NPE) 1968
Based on the
recommendations of the Kothari Commission (1964-‘66) the Central Government,
under the leadership of Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi announced the first
National Policy on Education (NPE) in 1968. The NPE 1968 called for a radical
reconstruction for education and equalization of educational opportunities in
order to achieve national integration and enhanced cultural and economic
development. The policy called for making education compulsory for all children
up to the age of 14 as stipulated by the constitution of India. It also
emphasized o the qualification and better training for teachers. The policy
focused on learning regional languages. Language learning was considered
essential to reduce the disparity between the intelligentsia and the masses. Hindi
had to be learnt uniformly for providing a common language to all Indians. The
policy also encouraged the learning of the ancient Sanskrit language which had
been considered as an essential part of India’s culture and heritage.
National
Policy on Education (NPE) 1986
Under the
leadership of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi the government of India introduced a
new NPE in May 1986. It specially emphasized on the removal disparity and to
equalize educational opportunities especially for girls and children of SC and
ST communities. To achieve the
policy called for expanding scholarships, expansion of adult education,
incentives to the poor parents for sending their children regularly to school
and developing new institutions. It called for a child-centered approach in primary education and
launched Operation Black-board to improve primary
education nationwide. The policy expanded Open University system with Indira Gandhi National Open University
(IGNOU) which was established in 1985.
Goals of NPE
1986:
1.
To universalize elementary education.
2.
To prevent the possibility of adult illiteracy in the years to
come by reducing the number of drop outs in schools.
3.
To accelerate non-formal education and make education reach the
remotest corners of the country.
Salient
Features of NPE 1986:
1.
Common educational structure.
2.
National Curricular framework with a common core which includes-
a. History of
India’s freedom movement
b. The
constitutional obligations
c. Other
contents to nurture national identity
As far as the language
policy was concerned, the NPE 1986 had made the following recommendations.
1.
Teaching of regional language has to be continued and
strengthened. The regional language has to be made the medium of instruction
not only at the school level but at the college level as well.
2.
Hindi has to be taught all over India as compulsory language for
providing a common language to all Indians.
3.
Teaching of English has to be continued as language of science and
technology.
1.4.2 THREE-LANGUAGE
FORMULA
The three language formula
emerged as a government policy after prolonged deliberations by educationists
and political leaders over a period of almost a quarter of a century. In order
to remove the inequality among the different states of India and to make the
educational load fairer, the Central Advisory
Board of Education (CABE) devised the three-language
formula, people from the states where Hindi is not the regional language have
to study their own regional language Hindi and English. People from the states
where Hindi is regional language on the other hand, have to study Hindi,
English and another language. The three-language formula was formulated in such
a way that the pride of the local people (mother tongue and regional
languages), national unity (Hindi) and administrative efficiency (English) are
integrated harmoniously.
The Kothari Commission
recommended the following language formula to incorporate the regional language
or the mother tongue Hindi, the national language and English, the important
international languages in the school curriculum.
Class
I to IV – only one language –
regional language
Class
V to VII – two languages –
regional language and Hindi or English
Class
VIII to X – three languages –
regional language, Hindi and English
1.4.3
NATIONAL CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK (NCF) 2009
The NCF 2009 with teacher
education. It was published by the National Council of Teacher Education
(NCTE). The NCTE is an advisory body to the central and state governments on
matters related to teacher education. The aim of NCTE is to achieve systematic
development in the field of teacher education all over the country.
The NCF 2009 while focusing
on the prevailing condition in the field of teacher education, suggested the
following reforms to strengthen teacher education at different levels.
1. Primary
Teacher Education (DIETs)
The NFC 2009 considered that
a) The +2
qualification for entry into the DIETs is not sufficient to equip the teachers
with sufficient knowledge to teach at the elementary level, in particular,
classes 3 to 8.
b) A four year
integrated model at the bachelor’s degree level may be introduced.
c) A special
degree or post-degree programme in primary teacher education may be planned and
implemented.
d) However, the
present two year Diploma in Education Model after twelve years of schooling
(+2) may be continued for the time being, attempting to intensify the programme
to make it more fruitful.
2. Secondary
Teacher Education (B.Ed. Colleges)
With the irrational
sanction of B.Ed. colleges and their privatization B.Ed. course has become
totally commercialized. As a result the B.Ed. programme has become extremely
weak both in theory and practice. The course structure is so ambitious that it
is impracticable. As such it is suggested that
a) As already
recommended by the Kothari Commission the one year framework of the B.Ed.
course should be changed into a two year course.
b) In the present
one-year B.Ed. programme more emphasis should be laid on the basic concepts of
education and internship.
c) In the
two-year B.Ed. programme internship should include not more than four units per
subject and six to ten weeks of internship.
