- By Deeksha Gour
- Mon, 01 Jul 2024 09:24 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Karnataka News: The government has notified a new set of rules, requiring all private schools following the CBSE and ICSE curricula to teach Kannada as either the first or second language. This directive, which aligns with the 2015 Kannada Language Learning Act, has met with opposition from school managements who argue that it poses challenges for students from other states.
The new Karnataka Education Institutions (Issue of No Objection Certificate and Control) Rules state that schools need to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the education department to get affiliated with CBSE or ICSE. This NOC will ensure that the Kannada language requirement is met.
Previously, the 2015 law made teaching Kannada as either the first or second language mandatory in all schools, but schools were still granted NOC certificates allowing them to teach Kannada as a third language. The new rules aim to address this discrepancy, according to a senior official, as quoted by a Deccan Herald report.
However, school managements argue that Bengaluru's cosmopolitan nature, with a significant population of migrant parents from other states, poses challenges. "It'll be a disadvantage for students coming from other states. Even if we forcefully teach them the language now, they will have to struggle in Class 10," said a principal of an ICSE school.
According to DH report, the issue has also reached the courts, with a group of parents challenging the 2015 law's constitutional validity before the High Court. M Srinivasan, president of the Managements of Independent CBSE Schools Association, suggested a compromise: "Schools have no objection to teach Kannada, but not as first language. Let the government make it one of the three languages and leave it to the schools and parents to choose."
As the debate continues, the government maintains that the 2015 law is already in effect, and the new rules merely incorporate this requirement into the NOC process.