Schools Lacked Preparation Time for NEP Third Language Rule From Class 6: Parliamentary Panel

NEP 2020: The tenth report of the Committee on Estimates (2026-27) on "Budget and Policy aspects for providing Affordable and Quality Education in the Country including Review of Central Board of Secondary Education" submitted to the Lok Sabha revealed serious issues pertaining to the implementation of the Three Language Formula under NEP 2020. 

The parliamentary committee stated that schools were not provided adequate time to implement the third language from Class 6. The lack of lead time along with the delayed hiring of qualified teachers, availability of updated study material and textbooks, and confusion related to the criteria of selecting languages has caused tremendous pressure to the concerned people including students, teachers, parents, and the school authorities. 

Despite appreciating the efforts made by the Union Ministry of Education such as the flexible approach of 'R1, R2, R3', translation of textbooks in 22 scheduled languages, Bhasha Sangam, and Jaadui Pitara learning kits, the committee said that these requirements were not anticipated. In order to address the implementation challenges, the committee recommended that the ministry should take quick actions for developing, printing, and distribution of regional textbooks and handbooks prior to the start of every academic year.

Major Observations of the Parliamentary Panel

Lack of Lead Time and Preparation: It was observed that the schools did not have sufficient time to prepare themselves for the third language in Class 6 due to which students, teachers, parents, and school administrators faced a lot of stress.  

Resource Deficits Observed:  

• Teacher Staff Shortage: Failure in recruiting and appointing language teachers.  

• Textbook and Study Material Shortages: Delay in making available the study materials and translated texts and textbooks.  

• Language Clarity Issues: Ambiguity with regard to language choices and criteria for selecting languages for schools and parents.  

• Recognize the Initiatives Taken by the Ministry: The committee acknowledged the initiatives taken by the Union Ministry of Education such as flexible R1, R2, R3 model, translation of textbooks from disciplines into 22 scheduled languages, Jaadui Pitara kits, and Bhasha Sangam initiatives. However, it was observed that the requirements on the ground were not anticipated.