<div dir="ltr"><h1 itemprop="headline">Teach foreign languages in schools, extend RTE to Class X: States to HRD</h1>
<h2 itemprop="description" class="">The final draft of the policy will be submitted to the ministry by February 29.</h2>
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<div class="" id="storycenterbyline"> Written by <a href="http://indianexpress.com/profile/author/ritika-chopra/" class="" id="written_by1">Ritika Chopra</a>
| New Delhi |
<span itemprop="dateModified" content="2016-02-22T00:45:58+00:00">
Published:February 22, 2016 12:45 am</span>
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<p>In what could compel the drafting committee of the new
education policy to take a stand in favour of teaching foreign languages
in schools, 11 states and Union Territories (UTs) have come out in
support of students learning French, German and Mandarin, among others,
for better employment opportunities.</p>
<p>Over the last month, <a href="http://indianexpress.com/">The Indian Express</a>
reviewed the feedback of 17 states and UTs to the HRD Ministry on what
they would like to see in the new education policy. One question, under
the head of “Promotion of Languages”, sought views on teaching foreign
languages in schools. Answering this, governments of Gujarat, Haryana,
Karnataka, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Mizoram,
Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar and Chandigarh supported the idea. The
states, however, hold diverse views on when students should start
learning a foreign dialect. While governments of Delhi and Mizoram want
it introduced in Class XI, Chandigarh and Uttarakhand want to offer it
as a subject from Class IX.</p><div class="" id="div-gpt-ad-1429260192255-0">
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<p>“The learning of English as second language in Classes I to X, Hindi
as third language in classes VI to VIII and option to learn a foreign
language as second language in Classes IX and X and as extracurricular
activity in Classes XI and XII will better prepare the students for the
economic world,” Karnataka government said in its response.</p>
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<div class="">Related Article</div><div style="max-width:100%" class=""><br><div class=""><div class=""><a class="" href="http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/teach-foreign-languages-in-schools-extend-rte-to-class-x-states-to-hrd/"></a><br></div></div></div></div></b></div>
<p>Irrespective of the above differences, the overall support of 11 out
of 17 states on offering foreign languages in schools is significant in
the context of the Kendriya Vidyalayas replacing German as the third
language with Sanskrit in October, 2014. German is now taught as an
additional subject/hobby class. HRD Minister <a href="http://indianexpress.com/profile/politician/smriti-irani/">Smriti Irani</a>
had cited the three-language formula and the Constitution in defence of
the decision. According to this formula, schools should teach Hindi,
English and one modern Indian language (preferably one of the southern
languages) in Hindi-speaking states and Hindi, English and the regional
language in non-Hindi speaking states. Introduced in 1968, this formula
was reiterated in the 1986 education policy, as well as in 1992. It is
silent on foreign languages.</p>
<p>Teaching foreign languages is now one of the key discussion points
for the new education policy. Apart from that, 10 states and UTs
(Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Haryana, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh,
Andhra, Mizoram and Andaman & Nicobar) want the Right to Education
Act (RTE) to cover education up to Class X, at least, to increase access
to secondary schooling. The law currently extends up to Class VIII. But
14 states/UTs (Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Chattisgarh, J&K, Telangana,
Odisha, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Delhi, Assam, Chandigarh, Andaman
& Nicobar and Daman & Diu) are opposed to RTE’s no-fail policy.</p>
<p>Thirteen states and UTs — Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh,
Telangana, Karnataka, Chandigarh, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana,
Gujarat, Assam, Andaman and Nicobar and Daman & Diu — have demanded a
school quality assessment and accreditation system.</p>
<p>All states and UTs, except Puducherry, are in favour of a compulsory
aptitude test in schools. To identify skill a student is interested in,
17 states — Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, J&K, Telangana,
Odisha, Karnataka, Andhra, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Delhi, Assam,
Chandigarh, Puducherry, Andaman and Daman & Diu — have backed
counselling at schools.</p>
<p>While seven states (Gujarat, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Punajb, Delhi,
Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand) have recommended regular practice of yoga
in schools, 14 states and UTs (J&K, Uttarakhand, Odisha,
Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Karnataka, Chandigarh, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh,
Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Puducherry and Andaman) want good ethics and
values to be taught in schools.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, HRD Ministry spokesperson Ghanshyam Goel did not respond
to the questions sent by The Indian Express seeking response on whether
the above points will figure in the final draft of the education policy.
Former cabinet secretary T S R Subramanian, who heads the drafting
committee, said, “We are considering a gamut of issues including ones
you have mentioned. I don’t want to get into the specifics and would
request you to wait for the education policy.”</p>
<p>The final draft of the policy will be submitted to the ministry by February 29.</p><p><a href="http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/teach-foreign-languages-in-schools-extend-rte-to-class-x-states-to-hrd/">http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/teach-foreign-languages-in-schools-extend-rte-to-class-x-states-to-hrd/</a><br></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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