New Delhi: The books have been bought, timetables redrawn and teachers assigned. Now, schools that spent months putting CBSE ’s revised three-language framework into practice are grappling with a fresh question: What does Supreme Court ’s recent relief for Class VI students mean for arrangements already in place?
Schools accordingly introduced language options, reorganised teaching schedules and, in some cases, arranged for additional teachers. Divya Bhatia, principal of Amity International School, Saket, said the court’s decision has created uncertainty for institutions that already introduced new language classes, revised schedules and made staffing arrangements.
Rooma Pathak, principal of MM Public School, said schools had restructured timetables and arranged for additional language teachers before the court extended the transitional relief. “In view of the recent court directive, I feel it may not be practically feasible to change the subject options again at this stage,” Sharma said. Frequent changes or ambiguity in implementation can place an avoidable burden on students, teachers and school managements,” she said.
Under the revised framework, students were required to study three languages, including at least two Indian languages. Some also persuaded reluctant parents to accept changes to their children’s initial language choices. The apex court has now directed CBSE to extend to Class VI students exemptions and relaxations available to the current Classes VII–IX batches. These include exemption of the newly mandated third language from Class X board examinations and flexibility for students already studying two non-native languages to retain both while adding a ‘Bharatiya Bhasha’. Revisiting those choices now will require another adjustment after students and teachers settled into the new arrangement. The experience illustrates the time and resources schools have committed to the transition. “Schools need clarity on the way forward.