The CBSE Primary Language Change at the foundational level has introduced a significant shift in how early learners across India will engage with language instruction.
As part of the Central Board of Secondary Education’s ongoing alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, this change emphasizes the use of mother tongue or regional languages as the medium of instruction from pre-primary to Grade 2.
For schools, educators, and administrators, understanding and implementing this shift is essential for curriculum planning, teacher training, and effective classroom delivery.
This article outlines what the CBSE Primary Language Change entails, why it matters, and what schools need to do to comply and thrive under the new language guidelines.
What is the CBSE Primary Language Change?
The CBSE Primary Language Change refers to the board’s directive encouraging schools to adopt the mother tongue or regional languages as the medium of instruction during the foundational stage of education, i.e., from pre-primary up to Class 2. This shift aligns with the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) and aims to improve learning outcomes through linguistic familiarity.
Key Highlights:
Target Classes: Pre-primary to Grade 2
Medium of Instruction: Preferably mother tongue, regional or home language
Objective: Strengthen conceptual understanding, promote cultural identity, and improve cognitive development at an early age
Why the Language Change Matters
The NEP 2020 and recent CBSE guidelines emphasize that children learn best in their first language, especially during the foundational years when they are developing basic literacy and numeracy skills.
Benefits of Mother Tongue Instruction:
Better Comprehension: Children understand concepts faster in a language they speak at home.
Stronger Foundations: Builds cognitive skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving from an early age.
Inclusive Education: Encourages participation from children in rural and tribal areas.
Preserves Linguistic Diversity: Supports regional and indigenous languages by integrating them into the school system.
What Schools Must Do
The CBSE Primary Language Change requires schools to take a proactive approach in curriculum planning and implementation.
1. Language Mapping
Schools must identify the mother tongues or home languages spoken by the majority of their students. This helps determine which language(s) should be used for instruction.
2. Curriculum Adaptation
Learning materials should be adapted or translated into the local language to align with the new language medium. Textbooks and worksheets must reflect cultural and linguistic contexts.
3. Teacher Training
Teachers should be trained to teach in the selected language and also in bilingual instructional strategies where necessary. Training must cover:
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Pedagogical techniques in early language instruction
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Use of oral stories, rhymes, and language games
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Translanguaging methods to bridge mother tongue and second language learning
4. Parental Engagement
Inform and involve parents about the shift in language instruction. Schools should conduct orientation sessions to explain:
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The rationale behind the CBSE Primary Language Change
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How parents can support learning at home in the mother tongue
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Transition strategies for future stages when English or Hindi becomes more prominent
5. Monitoring and Feedback
Schools must collect feedback from teachers, students, and parents to monitor learning outcomes. CBSE may also roll out performance indicators to evaluate implementation progress.
Transition to Multilingual Education
The CBSE Primary Language Change does not eliminate English or Hindi from the curriculum—it simply prioritizes foundational learning in the home language. Gradually, students will be introduced to second and third languages through a multilingual approach, helping them become fluent in more than one language over time.
Suggested Language Timeline:
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Foundational Stage (Grades Pre-Primary – 2): Mother tongue or regional language
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Preparatory and Middle Stage (Grades 3 – 8): Introduction of second and third languages
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Secondary Stage (Grades 9 – 12): Strong focus on academic language proficiency
Challenges Schools May Face
While the CBSE Primary Language Change is a positive step, it comes with challenges:
Lack of language-specific resources for regional languages
Teacher shortages in non-English-medium instruction
Urban schools with multilingual classrooms
Parental concerns about English-language fluency in later stages
To address these, CBSE recommends flexibility and phased implementation. Schools can also adopt a bilingual model, gradually increasing exposure to English alongside the home language.
A Step Toward Holistic Learning
The CBSE Primary Language Change is not merely a policy update—it is a paradigm shift in early education philosophy.
By making learning accessible in a language children are comfortable with, CBSE is reinforcing its commitment to inclusive, equitable, and learner-centric education.
Schools that successfully adopt this model can expect better classroom engagement, improved foundational literacy, and stronger home-school collaboration.
