Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools that were already worried about how to implement the three-language rule in Class VI with least disruption to students are unhappy with the board’s sudden decision to make it compulsory for Classes IX and X.

School Principals and administrators said they had hoped that with the introduction of the three-language policy in a phased manner beginning with Class VI as per the initial plan mooted in April, students would gradually adapt to the higher academic load by the time they were in secondary classes. However, the decision to make three languages mandatory for Class IX and X this academic year has come out of the blue.

‘Rushed decision’

Coming close on the heels of concerns over ‘hasty’ implementation of on-screen marking during Class XII evaluation, the latest decision only casts CBSE in a bad light. “It seems not enough thought has gone into the decision. What was the rush to make it mandatory for Classes IX and X?” asked the chairperson of a prominent school.

Class IX students are expected to study Class VI textbooks for the third language till dedicated textbooks become available, they noted.

Another Principal observed that many schools, including Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs), adhered to the two-language formula at the secondary level. “Classes commenced in April at KVs. What is the rationale for implementing a change at this late stage?”

Schools that offered languages such as French, German, or Arabic as the second language in Classes IX and X will now have to drop them and instead teach Hindi or Malayalam or Sanskrit as the second language, though there is lack of clarity on whether this will be applicable only to students in Class IX or even those in Class X who are already studying the French, German, or Arabic.

A secondary school teacher coordinator pointed out that for students who had registered French as the second language in Class IX, appearing for Class X exams in an Indian language (as the second langauge) after not studying it for a year in between could prove to be a tall order.

Even if third language assessments for Class X students were internal, students could not afford to take it easy since the performance would be reflected in the class X certificates.

Students from abroad who shifted to Kerala and found it comfortable to continue studying French or German will now have to study an Indian language in Class IX, point out school authorities. Teachers who used to teach foreign languages too are in danger of losing their jobs, they say.

Anxious parents

Schools said they many anxious parents were getting in touch with them. One school principal said they were even referring students to another school of theirs under a different board as a way out of the confusion.

Teachers said they were also worried about how to reschedule the timetable to make time for an extra language.