While the State is celebrating 50 years of being named Karnataka, the implementation of teaching Kannada as a compulsory language continues to be a challenge. From legal hurdles to reservations of parents and schools, there are obstacles galore for Kannada to be taught as a compulsory language in all schools.
Amidst all this, the Karnataka government is ready to frame regulations for the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Act, 2022, which was passed by both Houses during the previous BJP government’s tenure. An expert committee has been constituted headed by Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj S. Thangadagi.
“Our committee has already held three meetings and discussed how to formulate appropriate regulations according to the Act. The work of drafting the rules is in progress. After the rules are finalised, we will discuss with the Chief Minister and appropriate action will be taken to implement it,” he told to The Hindu.
What is in the new act?
Many of the provisions that existed in the Kannada Language Learning Act, 2015, will continue to apply in the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Act, 2022. According to the 2015 Act, “All students studying in classes I to X in all schools in the State will learn Kannada as first or second language in a phased manner.”
Along with this, provision for teaching the Kannada language in higher, technical and professional education and reservation in higher, technical and professional education for Kannada medium students have also been added in the new Act.
Setback following verdict
After a major setback due to the Supreme Court’s judgement against the Language Policy 1994, in which either the mother tongue of the student or Kannada was made a compulsory medium of instruction in all primary schools in 2014, the State government brought the Kannada Language Learning Act in 2015. This Act came into effect from the academic year 2016-17. However, private schools affiliated with the Central boards (CBSE, CISCE) and following NCERT curriculum have not been teaching Kannada as the first or second language.
The government has made provision to teach Kannada as a second or third language in the rules of the Karnataka Learning Language Act and the Karnataka Educational Institutions (Issue of No Objection Certificate and Control) Rules, 2022. It is only a provisional rule that these schools have used to teach Kannada as a third language.
Meanwhile, around 20 parents moved the High Court and questioned making of Kannada a compulsory language from classes I to X even in CBSE, CISCE schools in August, 2023.
V.P. Niranjanaradhya, a development educationist, said negligence to teach Kannada as a first or second language in private schools of the central curriculum despite the government order is “inexcusable.”
“They misused the NOC rules and are teaching Kannada as a third language, which is a violation of the Act. The irresponsibility of the government and the officials of the education department has led to this,” he said.
Ray of hope
Amidst of all these developments, there is a ray of hope. To promote multilingual school education, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has allowed schools to offer education in a regional language from pre-primary to class 12 recently. This initiative has been taken in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP).
Meanwhile, in 2015, the State government amended the Right to Education Act-2009 (RTE) and the Bill was passed in both houses of the State legislature to make either the mother tongue of the student or Kannada the compulsory medium of instruction in all primary schools. The Bill was forwarded to the President of India in 2017 with the approval of the governor. However, the Union Ministry of Education, which is supposed to send this bill to the President of India with a recommendation, has not taken any action so far.
