Blow to Jagan govt: Union Cabinet makes mother tongue compulsory for primary education

In a major blow to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s ambitious programme to implement English medium in government schools at primary level, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a new policy that makes it mandatory to impart primary education in mother tongue.

At a high-level Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narender Modi, the government has approved the new policy making it compulsory to impart education in medium of instruction in mother tongue or local language regional language at least up to Class 5 under the National Education Policy(NEP) 2020. At the Cabinet meeting it was decided that English could be optional up to Class 8.

As a matter of fact, YSRCP’s own LS MP Raghurama Krishna Raju was highly critical of the move to implement English medium in government schools and had raised the issue in Parliament seeking protection of Telugu language and the central government’s intervention in ensuring education in mother tongue in primary classes.

The Union Cabinet decision also comes at a time Jagan Mohan Reddy and his team are preparing to introduce English as a medium of education in the state’s government schools at primary level. A petition was filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court by Sudheesh Rambhotla and Guntupalli Srinivas. The petitioners had appealed to the court to declare the said GO as ultra vires of the provisions of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 and violative of Articles 14, 21 and 21-A of the Constitution.

Subsequently, the Jagan government suffered a major setback with the High Court striking down G.O. Ms No.85 which made English medium education compulsory from classes I to VI in primary, upper primary and high schools under all managements from 2020-21. It was to be gradually extended to each further class from the next consequent academic years. However, the Andhra Pradesh government filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court challenging the HC verdict on its plan to introduce English as medium of instruction from classes I to Class VI in government schools

Further, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday also revised the curriculum and pedagogical structure from a 10+2 system to a 5+3+3+4 system covering ages 3-18, with focus will be on language and mathematics in Class I to III. Under the education policy, the students need not stick to the traditional three-year or four-year degree programmes.

Students can decide whether to complete the full-year programme for entry and exit. Undergraduate degree programmes will last three or four years with multiple exit options. Exit options include, certificate after completing one year in a discipline, diploma after two years, bBachelor’s degree after a 3-year programme and 4-year Multidisciplinary Bachelor’s programme.