Education in Regional Bharatiya Languages: Eradicating Macaulay Phenomenon in Amrit Kaal

Known for redefining the education system in India for more than seven decades, to say the least. Through his endeavours, he painted the British in every part superior, advanced, aspirational and elite, and anything Indian as inferior, baseless and thus, worthless. He played a pivotal role in introducing English as a medium of instruction and learning in the education system. Having immense faith and pride in British greatness and achievements in literature, science and even arts, he wished for the government to impart British education – sans oriental education, through a ‘Downward Filtration policy’ meaning teaching the elite only for them to teach the masses. The larger goal was, “(to create) a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals and in intellect.”

After all these years of Independence, India still felt and carried the hangover of this colonial practice, which detached us from our traditions, values, and history – basically, our roots.

Right to Education Act, 2009, Chapter V, Section 29(f) states, “the medium of instructions shall, as far as practicable, be in child’s mother tongue.” Education is in the concurrent list of the Constitution and a majority of the schools are under the domain of the States/UTs.

In 2020, India set to bring about ground-breaking changes in this very system that held back many children from reaching their full potential. National Education Policy marked a milestone that aimed to make it more inclusive, empowering and eradicating the previous Macaulayism system. Para 4.11 of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 commits to education through local/regional language as a medium of instruction in public and private schools up to class 5; if accepted, till class 8 and beyond, and whenever and whenever possible. Sanskrit will be offered at all levels and taught with the use of Sanskrit Knowledge Systems, in particular, through phonetics and pronunciation. Sanskrit textbooks at the foundational and middle school level may be written in Simple Standard Sanskrit (SSS) to teach Sanskrit through Sanskrit (STS) and make its study truly enjoyable. Additionally, foreign languages like Korean, Japanese, Thai, French, etc will be taught at the secondary level. A three-language policy with at least two of the three languages will be native to India. In particular, students who wish to change one or more of the three languages they are studying may do so in Grade 6 or 7, as long as they demonstrate basic proficiency in three languages (including one language of India at the literature level) by the end of secondary school. Under the ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’ initiative, sometime in Grades 6-8, students will participate in a fun project/activity on ‘The Languages of India’ to learn everything about a specific language, right from phonetics, history, culture, community, influence, stories, etc. However, the policy mentions that no language will be imposed on the student. High-quality textbooks in science, mathematics, etc will be made available in regional languages. If not, then teaching language will be the home language/mother-tongue wherever possible. This is suggested and reemphasised by the NIPUN Bharat Mission of the GOI and NISHTHA Foundational Literacy and Numeracy. As per Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2020-21, there are 28 languages* in which teaching-learning is going on in grades (1-5).

Why is there a need for education through regional language? In a time of globalisation, shouldn’t English be the right choice?

1. Better grasping, understanding and helping forge a better quality future for the youth of the country – Research says that children understand and grasp better when they are taught in their mother tongue. And children who are taught subjects in their mother tongue are most likely to stay in school, enjoy the subject better and perform even better. Top-quality learning and upliftment of the community will be the expected outcome of this policy.

2. Bringing about social justice for the children of rural India – This policy aims to right the wrong – “The biggest injustice to any student is judging them based on their language instead of their capabilities. Education in the mother tongue is initiating a new form of justice for students in India. It is also a very significant step towards social justice. When the students are confident in a language, their skills and talent will emerge without any restrictions. National Educational Policy will give due respect and credit to every language in the country”, the Prime Minister at the All India Education Convention on 29 July.

3. To uplift children from all communities and improve their standard of education – The World Bank states that lower learning levels because of language barriers are a major cause for higher dropout rates, repetition rates, higher Learning Poverty, and lower standard of living. Because of a lack of family recourses to counter this condition, they face adverse effects. According to a new World Bank report Loud and Clear: Effective Language of Instruction Policies for Learning, effective language of instruction (LoI) policies are central to reducing Learning Poverty and improving other learning outcomes, equity, and inclusion.

4. Eliminating the bias against Indian Languages – The unfortunate perception of Indian languages as unprogressive is observed even in the United Nations. Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, at the inaugural event of the All India Education Convention at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi on July 29 explains the bias. Their talent and skills often go unrecognised because they don’t speak fluent English. NEP 2020 empowers these languages and highlights the beauty of our regional languages.

5. Promote and celebrate Indian culture – Unfortunately, English is seen as a superior language. But local languages connect people and bring them closer to one another. You can easily learn about the history, traditions, culture and heritage of people speaking a certain language. Children will be more connected to their roots.

6. Multilingualism is the way forward – UNESCO states that globally 40% of the population does not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand. Countries like Finland start their education journey in their native language to enhance their understanding and cognitive development. South Africa recognizes 11 official languages, and education in these languages has helped bridge gaps between different communities, promoted social inclusion and preserved cultural heritage. Canada and Switzerland’s multilingual education system not only strengthens cultural identity but also enhances cognitive flexibility and cross-cultural understanding. A survey conducted by the Indian National Sample Survey Office revealed that students who receive education in their regional languages tend to perform better in subjects across the curriculum. 

All of this showcases the effectiveness of teaching in languages that students are most comfortable with – the regional language/mother tongue.