HYDERABAD: Students and parents of private English medium schools staged a protest on Saturday against the government’s decision to make Telugu mandatory as the second language in the school curriculum.
Several students, parents and activists gathered at Dharna Chowk to voice their opposition to the move. They argued that it restricts academic freedom and ignores language preferences, especially for those from non-Telugu-speaking backgrounds and families that relocate frequently.
Parents said the decision by the education department has caused concern in an already diverse educational setting. They urged the government to introduce Telugu as a mandatory third language instead, but in a phased manner.
“We strongly believe every child should be free to learn a language of their choice. Forcing them to learn a specific language that may not benefit their academic or professional future is an imposition. This goes against the spirit of inclusivity,” said a parent at the protest.
Student representatives also joined the protest, stating that the compulsory Telugu policy adds undue pressure. Many shared personal experiences of struggling with the language, which affected their academic performance and well-being.
“I’ve never studied Telugu before. If it’s made mandatory, I won’t be able to write the board exam. My results will suffer,” said a Class 9 student.
While protesters acknowledged the importance of preserving regional identity and culture through Telugu, they said students and parents should be allowed a say in language selection.
They pointed out that students entering Class 9 without prior Telugu instruction would face significant difficulty competing with peers who have studied the language since Class 1.