Karnataka school association urges government to retain three-language policy to protect kids’ rights | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: The Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools of Karnataka (KAMS) has appealed to the govt to uphold the three-language policy and implement key reforms to the SSLC language assessment system in the best interest of students across the state. The association said it would approach the court in case the state plans to change it to a two-language formula. It may be recalled that following developments in Maharashtra, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said he also approves of two-language formula. The association said, “Political resistance to the three-language policy in Karnataka disproportionately affects state board students. Students under CBSE and ICSE enjoy access to three languages, often including their mother tongue or a foreign language. The state cannot impose a medium of instruction or deny parental rights regarding language education. Any denial of the third language also adversely affects non-Kannada speakers and linguistic minorities.” It also pointed out that Karnataka is the only state that evaluates the first language paper for 125 marks, while across the nation, all boards restrict this to 100. This creates unnecessary pressure on students, it pointed out. The Karnataka School Education and Assessment Board has already submitted a proposal to the state govt to make the assessment in line with CBSE. The proposal recommends the inclusion of internal marks, reduction of pass mark to 33 instead of 35, and evaluating the first language out of 100 instead of 125 marks. “Don’t disturb the three-language policy; make it a choice and flexible with freedom of choice, rather than enforcing or eliminating specific languages. These measures are essential for protecting students’ rights, promoting multilingualism, and enabling Karnataka’s children to thrive in a national and global context,” said D Shashi Kumar, secretary of the association at a press conference Saturday.