Nagaland CBSE schools seek exemption from three-language policy citing unique linguistic diversity

Principals from Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) affiliated schools in Nagaland have written to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressing concerns over the implementation of the compulsory three-language policy. The letter, dated May 23, highlights the difficulties in introducing a third language, including Sanskrit, in Naga schools due to the state's unique socio-linguistic context.

Nagaland is home to over 17 major recognised tribes and dozens of sub-tribes, each with its own distinct language and oral tradition. Unlike most Indian states where a dominant regional language unifies communities, Nagaland has no single native tongue shared by all Nagas. English has served as the practical lingua franca across tribal communities in formal settings.

The principals noted that in many urban and semi-urban schools, a single classroom may hold children from more than 30 different linguistic backgrounds, including Ao, Angami, Sumi, Lotha, Konyak, Chang, Phom, Zeliang, Chakhesang, Pochuri, Rengma, Khiamniungan, Tikhir, Yimkhiung, as well as Bengali, Bihari, Hindi, Punjabi, Assamese, Kachari, Nepali, and others. Textbooks and structured curricula for most of these languages remain largely undeveloped at the school level.

The letter urges the Education Ministry to grant Nagaland a special linguistic exemption or a flexible framework, given its status as a linguistically complex territory. It also calls for developing structured syllabi for major Naga languages such as Ao, Angami, Sumi, Lotha, and Konyak at the secondary level. Additionally, the principals have requested the state government, in coordination with the Education Ministry, to establish a scheme for appointing or deputing trained language teachers to CBSE-affiliated schools.

One principal told The Hindu that the Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) once attempted to introduce a compulsory second language policy, but the practical realities of Nagaland's diversity made implementation deeply challenging. Another principal explained that students in Nagaland study primarily in English and also study Hindi, but they find it hard to adapt to Hindi, often preferring foreign languages like French and German because of similarities in Roman script to English.

The principals warned of an abrupt discontinuity for students who have been learning French, German, or Spanish since Classes 1 or 2, as they now face a change with no transitional pathway or recognition of prior learning. Schools were given a seven-day compliance window, leaving principals, parents, and students scrambling with no planning time.

The letter further states that teaching Hindi effectively in Nagaland is highly demanding and securing qualified teachers is exceptionally difficult. Under the current policy framework, Sanskrit emerges as a third language alternative not by educational or cultural choice, but by the absence of a more feasible option.