LANGUAGES AND MEDIA OF INSTRUCTION
Introduction Language as a vehicle of communication is very crucial to the whole process of education, since it is through language that everything is taught and learnt in a majority of teaching-learning situations, including the classroom. Though, no doubt, there are certain non- verbal means and methods through which learning can take place, they are rarely pressed into service and it is mostly through language that education is imparted in formal settings.
India is a multilingual country, with 1,652 mother tongues as per the Census of India, 1961. Even though many of these languages are not well developed, these are being used as their speakers do not know any other language. Therefore with the educational development in the country, a large number of such languages have been accepted either as a medium or as a subject by the educational system, particularly for meeting the needs of small and remote regions.
In its Eighth Schedule the Constitution of India has specified 15 Modem Indian Languages. Of these, Hindi has been accorded the status of the official language of India and English of an associate language.
The educational system of the country is therefore faced with the requirement of implementing the constitutional obligation, on the one hand, and the specific needs of some regions, on the other.
Language Policy The language policy of India is basically embodied in Part XVII of the Constitution of India along with the Eighth Schedule (Articles 344 and 351) and in the Articles dealing with the Fundamental Rights The aforesaid Articles of the Constitution give full freedom to the States to choose one or more language of the Eighth Schedule or languages spoken in the region as their official languages. The use of Hindi in Devanagri script has been prescribed for all official purposes as the language of the Union Government. English will continue as an associate official language of the country.
The modem Indian languages recognized by the Constitution for use as official languages by different States are mentioned in Statement 12.1.
STATEMENT 12.1
Languages Recognized by the Constitution
Language States/Union Territories where recognized
1. Assamese Assam
2. Bengali West Bengal
3. Gujarati Gujarat
4. Hindi Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Madhya
Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,
Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh
5. Kannada Karnataka
6. Kashmiri -
7. Malayalam Kerala
8. Marathi Maharashtra
9. Oriya Orissa
10.Punjabi Punjab
11.Sanskrit -
12.Sindhi -
13.Tamil Tamil Nadu
14.Telugu Andhra Pradesh
15.Urdu Jammu and Kashmir
Since Independence, the Government of India has appointed various Committees and Commissions to study the language policy exclusively for or as a part of the total educational system. These committees and commissions recommended various formulae for the study of languages at different school stages. In 1957, the Central Advisory Board of Education examined this problem in relation to the national needs and constitutional requirements and suggested a three-language formula. This formula was further reviewed at the meeting of the Chief Ministers of the States in 1961. The meeting came to the conclusion that at the school stage a child should study (i) the regional language (ii) Hindi in non-Hindi areas and any other Indian language in Hindi areas, and (iii) English or any other modem European language. Later, the Education Commission, 1964-66, examined the implementation of the three-language formula in different States and Union Territories and recommended a modified three-language formula.
According to the modified three-language formula (i) the mother tongue or the regional language is to be taught from the first standard to the tenth as the first language, (ii) the second
192 FIFTH ALL-INDIA EDUCATIONAL SURVEY
language could either be Hindi or English, which is to be taught compulsorily from the fifth standard to the tenth. At this stage, a student can also offer English or Hindi (whichever is not offered as a compulsory language) as an optional language, and (iii) the third language, to be taught between the eighth and tenth standards, could either be Hindi or English, whichever is not studied previously. During these three years a student can also study optionally one or more modem Indian languages. At the higher secondary stage, a student has to study compulsorily any two of the languages he had studied earlier or any two of the following and one or more Indian languages optionally:
(i) Modem Indian languages (ii) Classical language (Indian or Foreign) (iii) Modem foreign languages
Thus, the first, second, and third languages are to be studied compulsorily for ten, six, and three years, respectively, and any two of the three languages studied earlier could be continued for two more years. Optionally, any one or more modern Indian languages could be studied for two, three or five years. Secondly, it is only the modem Indian languages, including English, which are to be studied as the first, second, and third languages up to Standard X. The classical languages, both Indian and foreign, can only be studied optionally after Standard X for two years, but the modern foreign languages can be studied for five years from Standard VIII if offered in lieu of Hindi and English.
Although this revised three language formula as recommended by the Education Commission has been accepted by the Government of India, all the States and Union Territories have not yet accepted and implemented it.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has conducted five All-India Educational Surveys. But only during the Third and the Fifth Survey (the present survey) information has been collected on (i) the medium/media of instruction used for teaching at the different stages of school education, and (ii) languages taught at different stages of school education.
Medium or Media of Instruction The present survey has revealed that the number of languages used as media of instruction is 43 at the primary stage, 31 at the upper primary stage, 22 at the secondary stage, and 20 at the higher secondary stage. The corresponding figures during the Third Survey were 47 at the primary stage, 28 at the upper primary stage, 24 at the secondary stage, and 17 at the higher secondary stage.
It can be seen from the above that the highest number of languages used as media of instruction is at the primary stage. As we go up the educational ladder, the number of languages used as media of instruction goes on declining.
The languages which have been discontinued as media of instruction, after the Third All-India Educational Survey, at different stakes of school education are as follows.
Primary Stage
Arabic, Tibetan, Chakma, Santhali, Karen, Khezha, Kuki, Nicobaree, Persian, Tripuri, and Kheimunger
Upper Primary Stage
Arabic, Tibetan, Chakma, and Santhali.
Secondary Stage
Arabic, Tibetan, Bodo, Garo, Konkani, Mizo.
Higher Secondary Stage
Tibetan.
The languages which have been added to the list of languages used as media of instruction at different school stages after the Third All-India Educational Survey are as follows.
Primary Stage
Maithili, Lakher, Kak Barak, Dogri, Kashmiri, Pahari, Gojru, Karbi.
Upper Primary Stage
Maithili, AO, Sema, Angami, Kashmiri, Pahari, Gojru.
Secondary Stage
Maithili, AO, Sema, Angari
Higher Secondary Stage
Nepali, Pahari, Gojru, Garo.
The geographical distribution of languages used as media of instruction shows that only the major 16 languages recognized by the Constitution are used as media of instruction in a large number of States and Union Territories and most of the remaining languages display a localized pattern confined to one or the other State or Union Territory. The distribution of major languages used as media of instruction at different stages of school education in the States/Union Territories is shown in Statement 12.2.
Single/Multiple Medium Schools In line with the policy of the State governments the mother tongue of the child is generally the medium of instruction. But if the majority language of the State is not the mother tongue of some students, and also if they are in sufficient number (at least ten students in a class) and seek to be educated through their mother tongue, that language (their mother tongue) is allowed to be used as the medium of instruction.
Therefore, a majority of schools in the country are imparting education through the majority language of the State/Union Territory along with the facilities for imparting education through other languages, including tribal languages, to cater to the needs of linguistic minorities. This situation has thus necessitated the use of more than one medium of instruction in schools.
It is evident from Statement 12.3 that a majority of the schools at all stages of school education are imparting education through one medium only. There is a very small proportion of schools which are imparting education through two or more than two media of instruction in schools.
The Statement also reveals that the number of schools with two or more than two media of instruction are 10,465 (1.66%) at
LANGUAGES AND MEDIA OF INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS 193
STATEMENT 12.2
Languages used as Media of Instruction at different Stages of
School Education in Different States/Union Territories
Language Number of States/Union Territories using a Language
as Medium of Instruction at Different Stages
primary Upper Primary Secondary Higher Secondary
1. Assamese 3 2 2 1
2. Bengali 11 12 10 5
3. Gujarati 8 5 5 5
4. Hindi 24 25 24 21
5. Kannada 6 5 5 2
6. Kashmiri 1 1 1 -
7. Malayalam 8 7 5 2
8. Marathi 7 7 6 5
9. Oriya 5 3 2 2
10.Punjabi 4 3 3 30
11.Sanskrit 2 1 1 -
12.Sindhi 5 4 3 2
13.Tamil 10 10 9 5
14.Telugu 11 11 9 5
15.Urdu 15 15 12 9
16.English 32 32 32 30
the primary stage, 5,240 (2.79%) at the upper primary stage, 3,850 (5.73%) at the secondary stage, and 1,824 (11.79%) at the higher secondary stage. The corresponding figures during the Third Survey were 14,391 (2.12%) at the primary stage, 5,046 (4.42%) at the upper primary stage, 2,683 (6.96%) at the secondary stage, and 726 (7.86%) at the higher secondary stage.
The percentage of schools with more than one medium is more in urban areas than in rural areas at all stages of school education. A similar trend was observed during the Third All India Educational Survey. The Statement also shows that as we move up the educational ladder the number of schools with more than one medium goes on increasing both in the case of schools in rural areas and the urban areas.
State-wise Analysis A State-wise analysis of schools with one medium or more than one medium shows that in all the States/Union Territories a majority of the schools impart education through one medium at all the stages of school education except in the case of Chandigarh where more schools are available with more than one medium. A very small proportion of schools use two, three or more than three media.
At the primary stage Chandigarh has more schools with two media (82) than one-medium schools (63). Jammu and Kashmir has 2,281 (21.89%) schools with two media, while there are 54 (20.93%) schools with two media in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Other States/Union Territories have a very small proportion of schools with two media. Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Dadra and Nagar Haveli do not have any two-medium schools. Three-medium schools are almost negligible in most of the States/Union Territories except in Jammu and Kashmir and Andaman and Nicobar Islands where these are 13.60% and 7.36% respectively. Schools with more than three media exist only in six States/Union Territories. Of these, Jammu and Kashmir and
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STATEMENT 12.3
Schools according to Media of Instruction
School Stage Area Number of Media
One-medium Two-medium Three-medium More-than-three-
schools schools Schools medium Schools
Rural 548603 6701 1297 51
(98.56%) (1.2090%) (0.23%) (0.01%)
Primary Urban 72240 2061 323 32
(96.77%) (2.76%) (0.43%) (0.04%)
Total 620843 8762 1620 83
(98.34%) (1.39%) (0.26%) (0.01%)
Rural 142298 2098 390 43
(98.25%) (1.45%) (0.27%) (0.03%)
Upper Primary Urban 39864 2289 407 13
(93.64%) (5.37%) (0.96%) (0.03%)
Total 182362 4387 797 56
(97.21%) (2.34%) (0.42%) (0.03%)
Rural 44322 1217 101 44
(97.02%) (2.66%) (0.22%) (0.10%)
Secondary Urban 19069 2169 279 40
(88.46%) (10.06%) (1.29%) (0.19%)
Total 63391 3386 380 84
(94.27%) (5.04%) (0.57%) (0.12%)
Rural 6740 372 22 2
(94.45%) (5.21%) (0.31%) (0.03%)
Higher Secondary Urban 6901 1330 93 5
(82.85%) (15.97%) (1.12%) (0.06%)
Total 13641 1702 115 7
(88.21%) (11.01%) (0.74%) (0.04%)
Andaman and Nicobar Islands have 0.66% and 1.16% schools, respectively, with more than three media while in the other four States/ Union Territories the number is negligible.
At the upper primary stage also like the primary stage, Chandigarh has more schools with two media (70) than onemedium schools, (38). Again, Jammu and Kashmir has 30.78% schools with two media and Andaman and Nicobar Islands 26.97% schools, while Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli do not have any school with two media. Schools having three media exist in 18 States/Union Territories. But only Jammu and Kashmir (16.28%), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (12.36%), and Chandigarh (5.26%) have a sufficient number while in other States/ Union Territories the number of schools imparting education in three media is negligible. Schools with more than three media are available only in Gujarat-four schools (0.00%), Jammu and Kashmir 48 (1.55%), Tamil Nadu 2 (0.00%) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands one school (1.12%).
At the secondary stage both Jammu and Kashmir and Chandigarh have more of two-medium schools than single-medium schools, Delhi and Andaman and Nicobar Islands have 23.20% and 30.00% schools having two media of instruction. Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Daman and Diu do not have any schools with two media. Schools with three media are available in 15 States/Union Territories. Jammu and Kashmir and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the two States/Union Territories which have 7.79% and 8.00% schools, respectively, imparting education through three media, while in other States/Union Territories the number is negligible. Schools with more than three media exist only in Andhra Pradesh-1 school (0.00%), Gujarat-2 schools (0.00%), Jammu and Kashmir-33 schools (5.95%),Karnataka-2schools (0.00%), Maharashtra-14 schools (0.16%), Orissa-1 school (0.00%), Tamil Nadu-2 schools (0.00%) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands-1 school (2.00%).