Supreme Court Suggests Third Language Should Begin in Class 6, Not Class 9; Raises Concern Over Student Burden
Court says introducing the third language earlier would give students more time to learn while reducing pressure during board exam preparation.
The Supreme Court observed that if a third language is mandatory in the CBSE curriculum, it should be introduced from Class 6 instead of Class 9 to reduce academic pressure and improve learning outcomes.
The Supreme Court of India has observed that if the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) makes a third language a compulsory part of its curriculum, it should ideally be introduced from Class 6 rather than Class 9. The court noted that students in Class 9 are already preparing for board examinations, making it less practical to introduce an additional language at that stage.
The observation came during the hearing of a petition related to the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) admission and language policy. A bench headed by Justice B.V. Nagarathna remarked that introducing the third language from Class 6 would provide students with sufficient time to gradually develop language proficiency before reaching higher classes.
During the hearing, the court observed that Class 9 students already face considerable academic pressure. Making a third language compulsory at that stage could increase their workload unnecessarily. Beginning language education earlier, the court said, would allow students to learn at a comfortable pace while improving their overall language skills.
The Union Government informed the court that several states continue to follow their own language policies, while the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommends the three-language formula with flexibility for implementation by states and school boards.
The Supreme Court clarified that its remarks were observations made during the hearing and not a final ruling. The case remains under consideration, and a final judgment will be delivered after further proceedings.
Education experts have welcomed the discussion, saying that introducing additional languages at an earlier stage is generally considered more effective because younger students tend to acquire language skills more easily than older learners.
