Bengaluru: Delivering a smack in the middle of the academic year 2017-18, the state government made it mandatory for all schools to teach Kannada. Now many schools under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) are baffled as to how they are to incorporate the subject.
Some schools have already introduced Kannada as a subject for students of class one.The cause for confusion, however, comes when one considers that the CBSE board already requires that the students be taught two languages from the first to the fourth grade, i.e. English as the first language and Hindi as the second. With the inclusion of Kannada, the students will have to learn an additional language.
Students from grades five to eight have to learn three languages and grades nine and ten will have to learn two. Harvest International School, in Bengaluru, has chosen to teach Kannada along with Hindi, as they feel that the students might require the language skills when they move to other states for higher education.
Contrary to the parents’ fear that their children will have to endure difficulties, the experts say that learning a new language won’t be a burden on the minds of primary school level students. They do agree, however, that learning a new language should be fun and not become a perceived burden to the students.
The Management of Independent CBSE Schools Association intends to challenge the order in the court. President of the association, M Srinivasan stated that although they were not opposed to the teaching of the language, they are opposed to the requirement of making it either a first or second language. He stated that the CBSE has mandated that the first language be English and the second language be Hindi. He claimed that the state government’s requirement for Kannada to be taught as a first or second language is illogical and that they have no control over CBSE and ICSE board schools.
Even though Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV) have been instructed to introduce Kannada as a first or second language, they are unlikely to implement the rule as the purpose of a KV is to admit students whose parents are subject to frequent transfers. A letter has been written to the KV headquarters about the issue and a response awaited although some KVs are already teaching Kannada from class six.
