Using mother tongue is fundamental to learning

India is a multilingual country with many languages spoken in different regions. Other than the 22 languages in the eighth schedule of the Constitution and 99 languages spoken by more than 10,000 speakers, many other languages and mother tongues are spoken in smaller linguistic communities. It is an inherent quality of the Indian social system that we use and enjoy multiple languages. They keep us together. All our diversities are visible only from the outside, but in reality, we are one. We celebrate this diversity in unity.

This year’s International Mother Language Day, celebrated on February 21, focused on multilingual education — a necessity to transform education. In line with Unesco’s policy, we will promote the use of mother tongues, which will enhance education at all levels and develop fuller awareness of our country’s rich linguistic, cultural and knowledge traditions.

We support and facilitate children’s right to education in their mother tongue, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised. “After the National Education Policy came, there has been much discussion on what the language of instruction will be. Here we have to understand one scientific fact, that language is the medium of education, not entire education itself. People caught in too much bookish knowledge often fail to grasp this distinction. Whatever language the child can learn easily should be the medium of instruction,” he said at a Shiksha Parv meeting.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 promotes multilingualism and highlights the power of language in teaching and learning. It can accelerate efforts in ensuring lifelong equitable education for the inclusion of using the mother tongue because multilingual education based on the mother tongue should be a key component of our education system.

We emphasise the importance of encouraging mother tongues in the curriculum and the classroom. Due to a long period of colonisation, we neglected Indian languages and their rich linguistic traditions. We must decolonise our minds, get rid of our servile attitude and create a path to greater heights. NEP 2020 emphasises the universalisation of early childhood care, education, and learning in all Indian languages.

Mother tongue is the true vehicle of transmission, which is fundamental to our identities and an inseparable part of our personalities. It must never be lost, as it carries the rich cultural fabric of our existence. The potential of multilingualism to transform education from a lifelong learning perspective and in different contexts is well established. Not being able to use or access knowledge and information in one’s mother tongue can limit the development of a child’s personality and intellectual freedom. Therefore, we should encourage parents, caregivers, and teachers to support their children’s learning in their mother tongue so that it is developed alongside other languages they learn in school. This will help learners develop academic literacy in their language and enable better comprehension of concepts and the learning of other languages.

India’s multilingual character necessitates including several languages in school curriculums. Studies reveal including several languages in the school curriculum is not an additional load, and that primary learning through the mother tongue best develops a child’s cognitive abilities, and facilitates the acquisition of basic literacy skills and the understanding of complex concepts. In other words, children who receive primary lessons in their mother tongue build a better educational foundation than those who receive education in their second language. Using only one particular language as the medium of instruction leaves many children illiterate in their mother tongue and fosters low achievement levels. Language is a significant factor in the case of school dropouts and stagnation in education.

Accepting the complex linguistic landscape of our country, we will implement mother-tongue-based multilingual education, focusing on proficiency in the classroom language and that of learners, and a high level of skill in teaching. Children will be exposed to different languages with a particular emphasis on the mother tongue, starting from the foundational stage. The three-language policy will continue to be implemented while considering constitutional provisions, aspirations of the people, regions and the Union, and the need to promote multilingual education and national unity. The three languages, including the mother tongues and local or regional languages, will be the choices of students, regions and states. High-quality textbooks, including those in school subjects, will be made available in mother tongues, and all efforts will be made to ensure that mother-tongue medium education becomes aspirational.

Learning another Indian language for children is easier since all of them belong to one family called the Bharatiya Bhasha Pariwar. Learning classical languages will provide access to rich repositories of literature and Indian knowledge systems. Learning through the Indian language medium will not only make education more rooted in Bharat but also strengthen the cultural unity of India. Leveraging technology to give an impetus to mother-tongue-medium education and to promote Indian languages will be a catalyst for the realisation of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (one India, greatest India). We will not leave any stone unturned in supporting education through the mother languages of India.

Dharmendra Pradhan is a minister of education The views expressed are personal