Call to teach Sanskrit as a spoken language

The draft policy has recommended that the mother tongue should be the medium of instruction till Class V.
Call to teach Sanskrit as a spoken language

NEW DELHI: The 25 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections for admission under Right To Education (RTE) Act should cover all schools, including minority institutions, the draft National Education Policy has recommended. Besides, it has suggested a more flexible three language formula that could also include a foreign language.

The report presented to HRD Minister Smriti Irani on May 26, recommended that students have an acceptance towards Indian diversity and take pride in the country’s heritage and culture. Irani has, however, refused to divulge the report or put it in the ministry’s website, maintaining that the report needs to be shared with the states before being made public.

Laying major thrust on Sanskrit, the draft report has suggested that the methodology of teaching it should be amended and that it should be taught as a communicative language and not treated as a classical language. The focus should be on imparting it in such a way where students are able to speak in Sanskrit and not only learn it.

The draft policy has recommended that the mother tongue should be the medium of instruction till Class V. However, the choice of teaching English along with regional languages should be left to the states.

It has also recommended that the second language should be introduced from Class VI and third language at the secondary level. This third language can be any of the scheduled languages or a foreign language like French, German, Arabic, Russian or any other foreign language.

“Three language formula exists. But choices will be made keeping in view the aspirations of parents, teachers, schools and the State. If a State wants to teach a foreign language as third language it should not be considered violation of the three language formula,” said chairman of the drafting committee TSR Subramanian.

On the vexed issue of no detention, the policy has suggested that class promotions be introduced from Class VI onwards. The ministry, however, is of the view that the no detention norm should be scrapped altogether.

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