LANGUAGES IN EDUCATION
 

The Three-Language Formula

235. Whatever be the difficulties or unevenness in the implementation of the three-language formula, it has stood the test of time. It is not desirable or prudent to reopen the formula. In order to bring about uniform and rationalised implementation of the three- language formula the following measures should be taken :

(a) The Kendriya Hindi Sansthan (KHS), Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL), and Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), the three National level institutions charged respectively with the development of teaching of Hindi, English and modern Indian languages should come together and, in consultation with the CBSE and NCERT and each of the concerned State Govern- ments, spell out modalities of ensuring uniformity in the matter of acquisition of language competency by the students in the school system. They should particularly bear in mind the observation of the Education Commission 1964-66 that learning of languages could be facilitated not merely in terms of years of study but in terms of hours of study and level of attainment (particular mention could be made in this context of the English language teaching package which the CIEFL has developed under the title `English-400'--a package which facilitates teaching and learning of English in 400 hours spread over three years. The objectives of the consultation mentioned above may be :

- Specification of the objectives of teaching different languages;

- Specification of levels of language proficiency to be reached in respect of each language; and

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-Specification of the class from, and the duration for which the three languages will be taught.

(Though achievement of these objectives have been referred to as pre-requisites in the POA, 1986, concrete effective action is yet to emerge.)

(b) One of the principal activities undertaken by all the three national level language development institutions, the KHS, the CIEFL and the CIIL is training of teachers of Hindi, English and modem Indian languages. The KHS trains teachers from non-Hindi speaking States in the teaching of Hindi as a second or third language. Likewise, the CIIL trains teachers in the teaching of modern Indian languages as a third language. The CIEFL offers post-graduate diploma courses for those teaching at the college level. Further, they conduct in- service training programmes for teachers at the school level. These institutions, however, have been constituted differently. The CIEFL is a deemed university. The KHS is an autonomous Organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act. The CIIL, is only a subordinate office of the Department of Education, Government of India. While the CIEFL and the KHS have considerable operational flexibility on account of their constitution, the CIIL is subject to all the functional rigidities of a subordinate office of the Government. Majority of the faculty of the CIIL even at the primary level are doctorate holders. In terms of teaching and research, they have been doing very important work in the area of development of modern Indian languages. Their work is also predominantly academic in nature. Unlike in the case of subordinate offices of the Government of India exercising regulatory functions of the government, as an academic institution the CIIL deserves to be relieved of the functional rigidities of a subordinate office. It may be converted into an autonomous body.

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(c) The capacity of the CIIL for teacher training often remains considerably under-uitilized as reflected by the following statistics :

                                          

        Year                     Capacity                      Capacity
                            (No . of seats)                    utilized
                                          

        1986-87                  360                           354
        1987-88                  360                           279
        1988-89                  360                           391
        1989-90                  360                           246
        1990-91                  360                           259
                                          

 
                                          

The teacher training courses are of a ten-month duration. The CIIL pays the teacher his salary during the training period, apart from a stipend of Rs. 400.00 per month. However on account of the fact that the services of the teachers will not be available for the schools during the training period, the concerned States have not been forthcoming in deputing enough number of teachers. There is a strong need for this teacher training programme being strengthened significantly. Specific measures that can be considered are : * Enough funds should be put in the possession of the CIIL for enhancing its training capacity. The enhanced capacity for training may be at least 1000 teachers per annum; the teacher training programmes of the CIIL should also be followed up by further correspondence courses for the continued training of teachers initially trained; teachers so trained may function as resource persons for the training of other teachers in the respective States for which appropriate programmes have to be evolved by States. The Planning Commission may provide enough funds for the purpose as part of State Plans.

* The CIIL could also organise teaching of modern Indian languages for the teachers as well as

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students on the Akashvani and Doordarshan (the CIIL already has a language laboratory which is equipped for, and is in fact producing, audio tapes for the teaching of modern Indian languages, even as CIEFL and KHS have audio packages for the teaching of English and Hindi respectively).

(d) Learning of Hindi in the non-Hindi speaking States has come to stay and is being increasingly taken recourse to in the school system as well as outside. The teacher training capacity of the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan is also fully utilised. Nonetheless there is a large backlog in the country of untrained Hindi teachers. The capacity of the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan for teachers training should be enhanced from 275 (75 seats for residential course and 200 for correspondence course) to 750 (250 + 500) per annum, considering that the number of untrained Hindi teachers in the country is about 15,000.

(c) Whether the medium for teaching is Hindi or any other modern Indian language, importance should be given not merely for language teacher training but also for teaching of subjects in the respective languages.

(f) Pending ultimate switchover to the media of regional languages and Hindi for purposes of higher education, English will continue to be a vital medium for the universities and colleges. Articulating this, the Education Commission (1964-66) observed : "For a successful completion of the first degree a student should possess an adequate command over English, be able to express himself in it with reasonable ease and felicity, understand lectures in it and avail himself of its literature. Therefore, adequate emphasis will have to be laid on its study as a language right from the school stage. English should be the most useful library language in higher education and our most

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significant window On the world....." Dealing with improvement in the language competencies in the students in general including English, the Programme of Action formulated under NPE 1986 called for development of textual materials, teacher training and research in the methodology of language teaching, development of infrastructural facilities, designing of remedial courses for the school and university students etc. The POA has also specifically mentioned about the NCERT, CIEFL, RIE, Bangalore and H M Patel Institute of English, Vallabh Vidyanagar coming together for study of language attainment of students. However, the fact remains that over the years, the standards of English language teaching have been going down. Though there are eleven English Language Teaching Institutes (ELTIs) at the level of the States, not all of them are of adequate standards. As of now, only the Regional Institute of English, Bangalore and the H M Patel Institute of English have been active. Most of the other institutions have been suffering for want of adequate and suitable man-power resources and infrastructure. Even in the use of Central assistance, offered during the Seventh Five Year Plan period through the CIEFL, the ELTIs have not been uniformally effective or dynamic. The CIEFL, in early 1990, conducted a national seminar on the teaching of English at secondary level and took stock of the situation obtaining in the country. The following, among the main recommendations made by this Seminar should be brought under early implementation :

- The ELTIs should be put on a sound footing with minimal core staff, the strength of which is to be enhanced depending upon the number of programmes and projects undertaken by them.

- The ELTIs should offer in-service training programmes for all categories of functionaries-

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English language teachers, Inspectors, Supervisors, Headmasters etc.; they should undertake need based extension and research work, produce teaching and testing materials; and bring out programmes for learners and teachers of English on the Akashvani and Doordarshan.

- The ELTIs should monitor the programmes of District Centres for saturation training of school teachers in English (as of now, there, are 25 District Centres in the country).

- The States should provide adequate financial and other resources to the ELTIs.

- Panels of experts in English language teaching should be prepared and maintained at the State and national levels. Their expertise should be availed of by taking their assistance on consultancy basis for promoting English language learning/teaching.

- A series of regional seminars/workshops should be organised with a view to re-design the English component of B.Ed. and TTC courses.

- Surveys of learner sub-populations have to be undertaken to make analysis of such populations from the point of view of teaching English. (This is based on the recognition that in backward and rural areas, sub-populations have specific needs in the matter of learning English.) (11.4.6)

Language Media for Higher Education

236. The programme of production of university level books in Indian languages should go side by side with conscious decisions on the part of universities/States in consultation with the UGC for switch over to the Indian languages media. The modification that can be thought of in the implementation of

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this scheme in future is that the production of text books may be left primarily to the universities. The objective of this modification is one of securing an agency which will be the producer as well as the consumer of the books. (11.4.6)

237. In order to facilitate speedier switch over to regional language media, at least options may be given to students for taking examinations at all levels in the regional language media. (In Maharashtra, for example, already this facility is being provided to post-graduate students.) (11-4.6)

238. In order that an overall environment for switch over to the regional languages is created apart from promoting the interests of national integration, in the higher education system, provisions should be made for the teaching of Indian literature in the Indian languages. (11.4.6)

Development of Hindi as per Article 351 of the Constitution

239. With a view to strengthening and unifying the efforts for the promotion and spread of Hindi as envisaged in Article 351, these three organisations could be merged into a single institution. In view of the fact that the nature of work of such an institution will primarily be academic and as effective operational flexibility will be required for its meaningful role, if, it is to handle its task with impact, it should be an autonomous body. The Head of the institution should be a renowned and senior Hindi scholar in the country. He should be not less in rank than a Vice-Chancellor. (An argument that could be raised in regard to the merger of CSTT into this autonomous organisation is that it also evolves pan-Indian terminologies. These terminologies, however, are Hindi-based. In any case, evolution of technical term in regional languages is best left to the concerned State level institutions, many of which have in fact done significant work.) (11.4.6)

240. As Article 351, inter alia, speaks about spread of Hindi language duly enriched by, and drawing from, Sanskrit and other languages, study of classical languages in the school system as part of social sciences should be provided for. (11.4.6)

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Sanskrit Maintenance and Co-ordination of Academic Standards

241. In view of the substantial difference between the tradi- tional and non-traditional styles of Sanskrit education and to remove the dichotomy mentioned above, there is need for a national level agency which is to lay down, maintain and coordinate the academic standards for Sanskrit education as whole by bringing about meaningful interaction between non-traditional and traditional styles. The Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan could be strengthened, elevated in status and given the role of a national level Commission for the purpose. The head of this organisation should also enjoy the status of a Secretary to Government of India. (In this context, it is worthy of notice that the Central Sanskrit Board has advised the enhancement of the status of the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan as an institution of national importance.) (11.4.6)

Article 350A : Instruction in the Mother Tongue-Problem of the Urdu Speaking People and Development of Urdu

242. Keeping in view the need for imparting instruction in the mother tongue at the primary level to all the linguistic minorities and in the light of interactions with the Ali Sardar Jafri Committee, it is recommended that arrangements for the purpose of teaching in the mother tongue of the minorities should be as follows :-

Primary Level

(A) The Education Department of the State Governments, Union Territories and the Local Authorities should, in the light of Article 350-A of the Constitution, make necessary arrangements for teaching in minority language at the primary stage for the benefit of those who claim it as their mother tongue. A Committee to monitor the implementation of these constitutional commitments may be set up in the concerned States with the Chief Ministers as Chairmen.

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(B) In substitution of *10 : 40 formula :

(a) where in an area speakers of minority language constitute 10% or more of the total population, one or more minority language medium primary schools, should be set up according to need, Such schools need not be exclusively of one medium. Efforts should be made to keep all students at the same school to avoid segregation irrespective of their mother tongue.

(b) in an area where minority language speaking people constitute less than 10% of the total population, a minority language teacher should be provided in such schools as are likely to get a minimum of 10 minority language speaking students.

(c) for immediate purposes, bilingual teachers may be appointed in schools mentioned in (b) above. The existing teachers in such schools may also be given incentives to learn minority languages additionally.

Secondary Level

In substitution of **15 : 60 Formula :

(a) it should be presumed that two third of the students leaving primary schools would be desirous of moving on to the next stage of education. Minority language medium sections in the existing secondary schools should be provided on this basis and minority language knowing teachers should be appointed in anticipation of students offering minority language as medium. The emphasis should be on students studying through different media in the same schools;.