'Earlier, the better': Why SC wants Centre to rethink third language policy from class 9

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed apprehension over the Centre's decision to introduce the third-language curriculum under the National Education Policy from Class 9.While hearing the Tamil Nadu government's appeal against a Madras high court order directing the state to facilitate the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) in every district, a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan orally asked the Centre to reconsider the policy across all school boards.However, the bench was not directly dealing with the issue of the new CBSE policy.Another apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, is already examining challenges to the new CBSE policy and recently refused to stay the notification.What the top court saidThe top court observed that introducing a third language in Class 9 would increase the stress levels of students.The bench suggested that if the new policy is introduced in Class 5 or Class 6, students would be better able to cope with it."Union of India, please don't have a third language from Class 9 onwards. It would unnecessarily increase the stress level of students," the bench said."If you want to introduce a new language, then please do it at the Class 5 or Class 6 level, but not at Class 9. Class 9 is full of stress; it starts from Class 8 onwards," it added."In our day, students were introduced to Class 10 concepts as early as Class 8... What about today's students? Don't start a new language in Class 9. Start it in Class 6. I'm recalling my experience from 1976," Justice Nagarathna said.The bench also said that the National Education Policy does not make Hindi compulsory as the third language."In middle school, the third language was introduced because that was required for SSLC. It was Kannada for those who had Hindi as their second language, and vice versa. Sanskrit was also there. The earlier, the better," she said.The top court also advised the Tamil Nadu government not to oppose the Centre's education policy merely because it originated from the Union government."You may have your education system, but don't prevent the Central government schools. Don't have this attitude that it is the Union government, so why should we accept it," the bench observed.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.