SC says third language should begin in Class 6
Supreme Court oral observations in Navodaya Vidyalaya matters in Tamil Nadu revive debate on the three-language formula, school choice, and state autonomy in education.
- The Supreme Court orally suggested that a third language, if taught, should begin in Class 6 rather than Class 9.
- The bench noted that Hindi is not mandatory under the three-language scheme.
- Tamil Nadu argues for a two-language policy and treats the Navodaya scheme as a possible backdoor route to compulsory Hindi.
The Supreme Court orally observed in hearings on petitions concerning Navodaya schools in Tamil Nadu that a third language should begin in Class 6 if it is to be taught at all. The observation matters because it connects school curriculum design with the wider dispute over the three-language formula, State autonomy in education, and student workload before board examinations.
What happened now
In the hearing, Justice B.V. Nagarathna orally urged the Union government not to introduce a third language in Class 9, saying that it would add avoidable stress for children near the board-exam stage. The suggestion was that a third language, if included, should start in Class 6 and continue only up to Class 9.
Relevant for GS2: Constitution, governance, federalism, and issues relating to education policy, GS2: Role of the judiciary in public policy disputes, Essay: Centre-State relations and language policy. The Supreme Court orally observed in hearings on petitions concerning Navodaya schools in Tamil Nadu that a third language, if taught, should begin in Class 6 rather than Class 9. The observations come amid Tamil Nadu's long-standing opposition to the three-language formula and its preference for a two-language policy.
