For truly bilingual cohorts of indians

For truly bilingual cohorts of indians

Making the mother tongue, or home language, the medium of instruction in early and primary school education as suggested in the National Education Policy 2020 is a good idea. The importance given to the mother tongue must not be viewed as an anti-English mandate. English must be taught as a language in schools from the early years, its teaching revamped and enhanced, to use the new audiovisual resources available online.

Instruction in the mother tongue will help students bridge the gap between the home and school. Early years of school are critical for children in terms of cognitive development.

Early childhood or preschool is important for creating a strong base and would mix play, activities and learning. In the early years of school, a more formal learning emerges, and it is critical to not lose the children at this stage. A gap between the language spoken at home and in school can lead to children losing interest in learning. This is particularly true for first-generation learners. Ensuring that they are taught in the language they are most familiar with can avoid such a situation. Studies also show a strong base in mother tongue builds skills that make learning new languages easier. This will also help erode a divide that has marked the education system — English medium versus Indian language medium, that translates into inequities through life.

But none of this can be at the cost of one of India’s advantages, the pervasiveness of the English language, something that has opened doors for Indians across the world and given us an edge over other countries. English must be introduced as a language early on, deploying the very many tools now available online, to equip children to read, write and speak the language with fluency.