Lok Sabha Question No. 1162 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-10
Subject: Teaching through Mother Tongue
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: S. Venkatesan, Jayadev Galla

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1162 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.02.2020

## Teaching through Mother Tongue

1162. SHRI S. VENKATESAN: SHRI JAYADEV GALLA:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that many surveys/studies conducted in the country indicate that children in the first few years of their schooling could understand well if they are taught in their own mother tongue and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether there are many States in the country which are teaching only in English medium upto primary level and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  feels  that  imparting  education  only  in  English  upto primary level is likely to hamper the natural learning process of children below the age of 9-10 years and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the details of recognized schools using mother tongue as medium of instruction in the primary, upper primary, secondary and higher secondary stage, State-wise;
- (e) the  details  of  recognized  schools  using  Hindi  and/or  English  as  medium  of instruction in the primary, upper primary, secondary and higher secondary stage, Statewise;
- (f) the  number  of  recognized  schools  using  Tamil  and/or  English  as  medium  of instruction in the primary, upper primary, secondary and higher secondary stage, Statewise; and
- (g) the steps taken/to be taken by the Government using mother tongue as medium of instruction from primary to higher secondary level?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

- (a)to (c) Para 3.1.1 of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 states that home language(s) of children, as defined in para 3.1 should be medium of learning in schools. Para 3.1 of NCF, 2005 defines home language or mother tongue as languages

subsuming  the  languages  of  home,  larger  kinship  groups,  street  and  neighbourhood that a child acquires naturally from his/her home and societal /environment . If a school does  not  have  provisions  for  teaching  in  the  child's  home  language(s)  at  the  higher levels, primary schools education must still be covered through the home language(s). There is no State/Union Territory teaching only in English at primary level in the country.

- (d) A  statement    indicating  State-wise    number  of  primary  schools  using  mother tongue as medium of instruction is  placed at Annexure-I. No data about secondary and higher secondary stage using mother tongue as a medium of instruction is captured and maintained centrally.

(e) & (f) A statement containing the requisite information is placed at

Annexure-II.

- (g) Section 29 (2) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, inter-alia , provides that the medium of instruction shall, as far as practicable, be in child's mother tongue. However, as education is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and majority of schools are under the purview of the State Governments, it is for the respective State Governments to take appropriate action in this regard in their schools.

******

## ANNEXURE-I

## STATEMENT INDICATING STATE-WISE NUMBER OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS USING MOTHER TONGUE AS MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION

| Number of primary schools where the children taught through their mother tongue(Recognized only)   | Number of primary schools where the children taught through their mother tongue(Recognized only)   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| State/Uts                                                                                          | Primary Schools/Section                                                                            |
| ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS                                                                          | 47                                                                                                 |
| ANDHRA PRADESH                                                                                     | 39954                                                                                              |
| ARUNACHAL PRADESH                                                                                  | 71                                                                                                 |
| ASSAM                                                                                              | 17561                                                                                              |
| BIHAR                                                                                              | 27523                                                                                              |
| CHANDIGARH                                                                                         | 187                                                                                                |
| CHHATTISGARH                                                                                       | 7153                                                                                               |
| DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI                                                                               | 80                                                                                                 |
| DAMAN & DIU                                                                                        | 40                                                                                                 |
| DELHI                                                                                              | 2913                                                                                               |
| GOA                                                                                                | 308                                                                                                |
| GUJARAT                                                                                            | 27456                                                                                              |
| HARYANA                                                                                            | 8938                                                                                               |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH                                                                                   | 750                                                                                                |
| JAMMU & KASHMIR                                                                                    | 12758                                                                                              |
| JHARKHAND                                                                                          | 7917                                                                                               |
| KARNATAKA                                                                                          | 26834                                                                                              |
| KERALA                                                                                             | 8975                                                                                               |
| LAKSHADWEEP                                                                                        | 10                                                                                                 |
| MADHYA PRADESH                                                                                     | 16388                                                                                              |
| MAHARASHTRA                                                                                        | 60748                                                                                              |
| MANIPUR                                                                                            | 2966                                                                                               |
| MEGHALAYA                                                                                          | 4699                                                                                               |
| MIZORAM                                                                                            | 874                                                                                                |
| NAGALAND                                                                                           | 127                                                                                                |
| ODISHA                                                                                             | 26923                                                                                              |
| PUDUCHERRY                                                                                         | 157                                                                                                |
| PUNJAB                                                                                             | 19476                                                                                              |
| RAJASTHAN                                                                                          | 71061                                                                                              |
| SIKKIM                                                                                             | 188                                                                                                |
| TAMIL NADU                                                                                         | 33459                                                                                              |
| TELANGANA                                                                                          | 13265                                                                                              |
| TRIPURA                                                                                            | 1926                                                                                               |
| UTTAR PRADESH                                                                                      | 38738                                                                                              |
| UTTARAKHAND                                                                                        | 2214                                                                                               |
| WEST BENGAL                                                                                        | 60271                                                                                              |
| All                                                                                                | 542955                                                                                             |

Source:UDISE 2017-18(Provisional)

## ANNEXURE-II

## STATEMENT INDICATING THE DETAILS OF RECOGNIZED SCHOOLS USING HINDI AND/OR ENGLISH AND TAMIL AND/OR ENGLISH AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTIONS  AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF SCHOOL EDUCATION

| Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   |
|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| State/Uts                                               | Medium of Instruction in Hindi                          | Medium of Instruction in Hindi                          | Medium of Instruction in Hindi                          | Medium of Instruction in Hindi                          | Medium of Instruction in English                        | Medium of Instruction in English                        | Medium of Instruction in English                        | Medium of Instruction in English                        | Medium of Instruction in Tamil                          | Medium of Instruction in Tamil                          | Medium of Instruction in Tamil                          | Medium of Instruction in Tamil                          |
| State/Uts                                               | Primary (Highest class 5)                               | Upper Primary (Highest class 8)                         | Secondary (Highest class 10)                            | Higher Secondary (highest class 12)                     | Primary (Highest class 5)                               | Upper Primary (Highest class 8)                         | Secondary (Highest class 10)                            | Higher Secondary (highest class 12)                     | Primary (Highest class 5)                               | Upper Primary (Highest class 8)                         | Secondary (Highest class 10)                            | Higher Secondary (highest class 12)                     |
| ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS                               | 92                                                      | 34                                                      | 29                                                      | 37                                                      | 109                                                     | 50                                                      | 34                                                      | 54                                                      | 3                                                       | 4                                                       | 4                                                       | 11                                                      |
| ANDHRA PRADESH                                          | 426                                                     | 140                                                     | 194                                                     | 26                                                      | 7546                                                    | 4822                                                    | 9527                                                    | 1740                                                    | 58                                                      | 9                                                       | 24                                                      | 3                                                       |
| ARUNACHAL PRADESH                                       | 335                                                     | 171                                                     | 46                                                      | 25                                                      | 2247                                                    | 1285                                                    | 303                                                     | 154                                                     | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| ASSAM                                                   | 318                                                     | 133                                                     | 115                                                     | 29                                                      | 1693                                                    | 695                                                     | 956                                                     | 535                                                     | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| BIHAR                                                   | 39621                                                   | 28282                                                   | 3204                                                    | 4170                                                    | 661                                                     | 2391                                                    | 203                                                     | 333                                                     | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 1                                                       | 3                                                       |
| CHANDIGARH                                              | 8                                                       | 12                                                      | 40                                                      | 31                                                      | 8                                                       | 23                                                      | 56                                                      | 90                                                      | 0                                                       | 1                                                       | 1                                                       | 0                                                       |
| CHHATTISGARH                                            | 32506                                                   | 15563                                                   | 1169                                                    | 3448                                                    | 3052                                                    | 1951                                                    | 229                                                     | 743                                                     | 1                                                       | 0                                                       | 1                                                       | 0                                                       |
| DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI                                    | 0                                                       | 1                                                       | 0                                                       | 1                                                       | 11                                                      | 26                                                      | 5                                                       | 14                                                      | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| DAMAN & DIU                                             | 1                                                       | 1                                                       | 1                                                       | 3                                                       | 17                                                      | 9                                                       | 7                                                       | 12                                                      | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| DELHI                                                   | 1936                                                    | 333                                                     | 213                                                     | 1196                                                    | 1545                                                    | 847                                                     | 326                                                     | 1577                                                    | 2                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 2                                                       |
| GOA                                                     | 5                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 134                                                     | 67                                                      | 393                                                     | 117                                                     | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| GUJARAT                                                 | 149                                                     | 697                                                     | 91                                                      | 250                                                     | 821                                                     | 1931                                                    | 572                                                     | 1171                                                    | 0                                                       | 2                                                       | 0                                                       | 1                                                       |
| HARYANA                                                 | 9265                                                    | 3978                                                    | 2778                                                    | 3623                                                    | 736                                                     | 1354                                                    | 1078                                                    | 2438                                                    | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH                                        | 10871                                                   | 2292                                                    | 1185                                                    | 2103                                                    | 2517                                                    | 1213                                                    | 831                                                     | 1249                                                    | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| JAMMU & KASHMIR                                         | 609                                                     | 288                                                     | 81                                                      | 15                                                      | 14700                                                   | 10332                                                   | 3204                                                    | 1074                                                    | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| JHARKHAND                                               | 24523                                                   | 12725                                                   | 2560                                                    | 1133                                                    | 455                                                     | 342                                                     | 210                                                     | 406                                                     | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| KARNATAKA                                               | 32                                                      | 74                                                      | 39                                                      | 19                                                      | 1821                                                    | 4616                                                    | 6185                                                    | 2946                                                    | 26                                                      | 104                                                     | 11                                                      | 2                                                       |

| Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   | Number of Recognized Schools by medium of Instruction   |
|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| State/Uts                                               | Medium of Instruction in Hindi                          | Medium of Instruction in Hindi                          | Medium of Instruction in Hindi                          | Medium of Instruction in Hindi                          | Medium of Instruction in English                        | Medium of Instruction in English                        | Medium of Instruction in English                        | Medium of Instruction in English                        | Medium of Instruction in Tamil                          | Medium of Instruction in Tamil                          | Medium of Instruction in Tamil                          | Medium of Instruction in Tamil                          |
| State/Uts                                               | Primary (Highest class 5)                               | Upper Primary (Highest class 8)                         | Secondary (Highest class 10)                            | Higher Secondary (highest class 12)                     | Primary (Highest class 5)                               | Upper Primary (Highest class 8)                         | Secondary (Highest class 10)                            | Higher Secondary (highest class 12)                     | Primary (Highest class 5)                               | Upper Primary (Highest class 8)                         | Secondary (Highest class 10)                            | Higher Secondary (highest class 12)                     |
| KERALA                                                  | 2                                                       | 3                                                       | 4                                                       | 10                                                      | 1713                                                    | 1861                                                    | 1350                                                    | 2698                                                    | 145                                                     | 25                                                      | 25                                                      | 38                                                      |
| LAKSHADWEEP                                             | 2                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 1                                                       | 13                                                      | 12                                                      | 1                                                       | 12                                                      | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| MADHYA PRADESH                                          | 86627                                                   | 46505                                                   | 7584                                                    | 7688                                                    | 3116                                                    | 7099                                                    | 1538                                                    | 2805                                                    | 2                                                       | 4                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| MAHARASHTRA                                             | 903                                                     | 1188                                                    | 799                                                     | 423                                                     | 5137                                                    | 4326                                                    | 3909                                                    | 2869                                                    | 6                                                       | 33                                                      | 1                                                       | 1                                                       |
| MANIPUR                                                 | 149                                                     | 104                                                     | 104                                                     | 39                                                      | 2208                                                    | 903                                                     | 872                                                     | 230                                                     | 1                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| MEGHALAYA                                               | 51                                                      | 132                                                     | 11                                                      | 4                                                       | 4482                                                    | 3469                                                    | 1280                                                    | 315                                                     | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| MIZORAM                                                 | 0                                                       | 3                                                       | 2                                                       | 0                                                       | 604                                                     | 1307                                                    | 644                                                     | 161                                                     | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| NAGALAND                                                | 6                                                       | 17                                                      | 8                                                       | 6                                                       | 1258                                                    | 815                                                     | 582                                                     | 178                                                     | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| ODISHA                                                  | 193                                                     | 529                                                     | 563                                                     | 98                                                      | 2750                                                    | 2140                                                    | 1151                                                    | 950                                                     | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 1                                                       | 0                                                       |
| PUDUCHERRY                                              | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 2                                                       | 1                                                       | 281                                                     | 76                                                      | 178                                                     | 172                                                     | 88                                                      | 41                                                      | 66                                                      | 57                                                      |
| PUNJAB                                                  | 616                                                     | 855                                                     | 1182                                                    | 1606                                                    | 1815                                                    | 2164                                                    | 2827                                                    | 3793                                                    | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| RAJASTHAN                                               | 37833                                                   | 34400                                                   | 10478                                                   | 17218                                                   | 1720                                                    | 3789                                                    | 1188                                                    | 2011                                                    | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| SIKKIM                                                  | 38                                                      | 28                                                      | 7                                                       | 6                                                       | 709                                                     | 323                                                     | 146                                                     | 98                                                      | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| TAMIL NADU                                              | 15                                                      | 1                                                       | 3                                                       | 11                                                      | 11367                                                   | 3898                                                    | 3154                                                    | 6227                                                    | 28801                                                   | 8624                                                    | 3887                                                    | 4470                                                    |
| TELANGANA                                               | 34                                                      | 4                                                       | 30                                                      | 1                                                       | 5460                                                    | 4898                                                    | 8404                                                    | 1791                                                    | 4                                                       | 0                                                       | 1                                                       | 0                                                       |
| TRIPURA                                                 | 8                                                       | 3                                                       | 1                                                       | 4                                                       | 315                                                     | 229                                                     | 167                                                     | 145                                                     | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| UTTAR PRADESH                                           | 156468                                                  | 76531                                                   | 9992                                                    | 17347                                                   | 7518                                                    | 4266                                                    | 594                                                     | 1412                                                    | 5                                                       | 0                                                       | 1                                                       | 0                                                       |
| UTTARAKHAND                                             | 14551                                                   | 4720                                                    | 1200                                                    | 1972                                                    | 732                                                     | 876                                                     | 193                                                     | 599                                                     | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| WEST BENGAL                                             | 2100                                                    | 362                                                     | 155                                                     | 331                                                     | 5638                                                    | 1072                                                    | 414                                                     | 844                                                     | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| All                                                     | 420293                                                  | 230109                                                  | 43870                                                   | 62875                                                   | 94909                                                   | 75477                                                   | 52711                                                   | 41963                                                   | 29142                                                   | 8847                                                    | 4024                                                    | 4588                                                    |

Source:UDISE 2017-18(Provisional)