Lok Sabha Question No. 2795 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-20
Subject: Equal Promotion of Languages
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: P. KARUNAKARAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2795 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2017

## Equal Promotion of Languages

## 2795. SHRI P. KARUNAKARAN:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has worked out any plan to allocate equal time for the promotion of English and local languages at school level in the country;

(b) if  so,  the  guidelines  issued  to  the  National  Council  of  Educational  Research  and  Training (NCERT) and other Educational Boards in this regard;

(c) whether the  working  hours  of  school  teachers  have  been  increased  recently  and  if  so,  the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(d) whether  the  increased  working  hours  of  school  teachers  have  made  their  profession  more strenuous and if so, the corrective measures taken/being taken in this regard; and

(e) the measures taken/proposed to be taken to impart quality education in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)

(a)  and  (b)  In  order  to  promote  language  harmony  and  equality  among  Languages  in  school education,  the  Government  has  adopted  the  'Three  Language  Formula',  as  recommended  in  the National  Policy  on  Education  (NPE),  1968.  The  Three  Language  Formula  as  stated  in  the  1968 Policy is as under:

-  The First Language to be studied must be the mother tongue or the regional language
-  The Second Language

In  Hindi  speaking  states,  the  second  language  will  be  some  other  modern  Indian language or English, and

In non-Hindi speaking states, the second language will be Hindi or English.

-  The Third language

In Hindi speaking states, the third language will be English or a modern Indian language not studied as the second language, and

In  non-Hindi  speaking  states,  the  third  language  will  be  English  or  a  modern  Indian language not studied as the second language.

- (c) No, Madam.
- (d) In view of (c) above, the Question does not arise.

(e) The Central Government implements Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) for improvement of elementary and secondary education, respectively.  Under SSA, the State Governments and UT Administrations are supported on several interventions to improve  teaching standards, including regular in-service teachers' training, induction  training  for  newly  recruited  teachers,  training  of  all  untrained  teachers  to  acquire professional qualifications through Open Distance Learning (ODL) mode, recruitment of additional teachers for improving pupil-teacher ratios, academic support for teachers through block and cluster resource centres,  continuous and comprehensive evaluation system to equip the teacher to measure pupil performance and provide remedial action wherever required, and teacher and school grants for development  of  appropriate  teaching-learning  materials,  etc.  The  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 specifies statutory duties and responsibilities of teachers and lays down the minimum qualifications for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in elementary schools.

In order to provide quality education to students at the secondary level, various interventions are  funded  under  the  RMSA,  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme.  These  include  provision  for  :  (i) additional  teachers  to  improve  Pupil  Teacher  Ratio,  (ii)  induction  and  in-service  training  for Principals, Teachers, Master Trainers and Key Resource Persons, (iii) Maths and Science kits, (iv) Lab equipments, (v) Special teaching for learning enhancement, (vi) ICT facilities in schools, (vii) introduction of vocational education component at the secondary level.

The  National  Council  of  Educational  Research  and  Training  (NCERT)  conducts  periodic National Achievement Surveys (NAS) of learning achievements of children in classes III,V,VIII and X.  NCERT  has  also  developed  Performance  Indicators  for  Elementary  Education  (PINDICS)  to track  performance and attendance in Government schools. PINDICS have been shared with State Governments/UTs to assess teacher's performance.

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