Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has announced a significant relief for students currently enrolled in Classes 7, 8, and 9, stating they will be permitted to continue with their existing foreign language combinations until their Class 10 board examinations. This assurance comes amidst widespread concern among schools and parents following a recent Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) directive to implement a new three-language framework from July.
Relief for Current Batches
Many families feared that students who had been studying two foreign languages for several years might be compelled to replace one with an Indian language midway through their secondary education. Minister Pradhan acknowledged that the initial communication created uncertainty regarding the impact on currently enrolled students, indicating that the new requirement would not be applied retrospectively.
This means that students presently in Classes 7, 8, and 9 will be able to maintain their chosen language combinations until they complete Class 10. The revised language system, which mandates three languages including two Indian languages under the National Education Policy 2020 framework, is now expected to be rolled out progressively, starting with students entering Class 6 and moving forward with subsequent batches.
Formal Clarification Awaited and Implementation Challenges
While the Minister's remarks have alleviated immediate anxieties, a formal notification from CBSE is still pending. The board is expected to present the matter to its governing council before issuing an amended order that will detail how the new policy will apply to both existing and incoming student batches. Until this official notification is released, schools lack a definitive operational framework for implementing the changes.
Pradhan also mentioned that age-appropriate textbooks would be made available in 22 Indian languages to support the new framework. However, questions remain regarding whether schools will have adequate numbers of trained teachers and sufficient teaching materials to introduce these subjects across all affiliated institutions. The Minister emphasized that resolving these implementation issues would be the responsibility of CBSE itself, rather than state education boards or the broader school system.
Vocational Learning and Future Considerations
Beyond language policy, the educational reforms also underscore a heightened focus on skill education. Students in Classes 6 to 8 will be required to complete 110 hours of vocational modules annually. Subsequently, a skill-based subject will become compulsory for students in Classes 9 and 10.
CBSE officials are also exploring a proposal that would allow students to choose a foreign language as an alternative to the mandatory vocational subject until Class 10. This particular proposal remains under active consideration and has not yet received final approval.