(From previous issue…)
C. Language Load Versus Career Readiness: A Question of Educational Priority
We raise, with the greatest respect, a question that every parent, student, and educator privately asks but rarely voices in official correspondence: As our children grow older and approach the critical years that will determine their professional futures — are we serving them better by adding a third compulsory language to their load, or by allowing them to invest that time in developing skills that will directly shape their careers?
The world our students will enter is one of increasing specialisation, technological complexity, and competitive examination. Science students need to master Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics at ever-greater depths. Commerce students need Economics, Accounts, and Business Studies. Arts students need their humanities subjects. Every additional compulsory subject that does not connect directly to a child’s interests or aspirations is time taken away from what does.
We are not arguing against language education — far from it. Language is identity; language is thought; language is culture. But the policy must ask itself honestly: is a compulsory third language, taught without adequate teachers or materials, truly educating children in language — or is it merely adding an examination hurdle that consumes precious time and energy?
We urge that the policy framework allow for greater flexibility in the senior years, particularly Classes VI to X, where career-oriented choices become more consequential. A student who wishes to pursue science or technology should not be penalised academically for not excelling in a language that has no connection to their aspirations, cultural background, or daily life. The goal of education is not to produce students who have cleared every box on a mandated checklist — it is to produce thoughtful, capable, confident human beings. Language policy must serve this goal, not constrain it.
VI. Our Specific Requests: A Roadmap for Meaningful Implementation
We come not only with concerns, but with constructive requests. We believe the following steps — if taken with urgency and sincerity — can transform this policy from a burden into an opportunity:
- Grant Nagaland a Special Linguistic Exemption or Flexible Framework
We request CBSE to formally recognise Nagaland’s extraordinary linguistic diversity and create a special flexible policy framework for the state, similar to the consideration given to other linguistically complex territories. This framework should allow schools to offer culturally appropriate alternatives that genuinely serve the spirit of the policy, rather than forcing schools into impractical compliance. - Include Recognised Naga Languages in the CBSE Examination System
We urge CBSE to formally incorporate recognised Naga languages into its curriculum and examination framework. Specifically, we request:
Development of structured syllabi for Ao, Angami, Sumi, Lotha, Konyak, and other major Naga languages at the secondary level.
Recognition of these languages in CBSE Board Examinations
Creation of model question papers and assessment rubrics - Deploy Government-Supported Language Teachers to Schools
We request the Government of Nagaland, in coordination with the Ministry of Education, to establish a scheme for the appointment or deputation of trained language teachers to CBSE-affiliated schools. A cluster-based approach, where a specialist language teacher serves multiple nearby schools, could be an immediate and cost-effective intervention. - Develop Textbooks, Teaching Materials, and Digital Resources
Without teaching-learning materials, no policy can take root. We request urgent action to:
Produce age-appropriate textbooks in major Naga languages for Classes VI to X
Develop digital language learning tools, apps, and audio-visual resources
Partner with tribal cultural organisations and universities in Nagaland to document and standardise written forms of oral languages - Provide Financial Assistance to Private Schools for Compliance
Private schools in Nagaland operate on limited resources and serve communities where fee-bearing capacity is modest. Recruiting specialised language teachers without financial support is not a realistic ask. We request a dedicated Language Education Grant for Linguistic Minority States to assist schools in building the required capacity. - Establish a National Language Portability Framework for Transferring Students
We request the Ministry of Education and CBSE to develop a national mechanism that ensures students who relocate across states are not penalised for the third language they have already studied. A recognised list of portable third language options, accepted across all CBSE schools, would be a significant step toward equity for mobile families.
VII. The Children Cannot Wait: A Plea for Urgency
Every year that passes with a policy implemented superficially is a year that a Naga child studies a language that does not connect them to their roots. Every year of paper compliance is a year during which the Ao dialect fades a little more, the Konyak oral tradition loses another thread, and a generation grows up disconnected from who they truly are.
We, as educators, chose this profession because we believe in the transformative power of education to preserve identity, build dignity, and create possibility. We are asking you, respected authorities, to give us the tools to fulfil that mission.
We do not ask for exceptions to avoid hard work. We ask for support to do the hardest work there is — to preserve a people’s language, and through language, their soul.
VIII. Impact on Foreign Language Teachers, Students, and the Resulting Vacuum
A critical concern overlooked in this policy rollout is the fate of thousands of students already enrolled in foreign language courses and the teachers whose livelihoods depend on them. Students who have been learning French, German, or Spanish since Classes 1 or 2 now face abrupt discontinuity, with no transitional pathway or recognition of their prior learning. Schools were given a mere seven-day compliance window — leaving principals, parents, and students scrambling with no planning time whatsoever.
The impact on foreign language teachers is severe. French, German, and Spanish teachers face direct job loss as these subjects are being removed from the core curriculum and reduced to optional club activities. Salaries are expected to collapse from around Rs. 60,000 per month to Rs. 20,000–25,000, with most positions being converted to contractual, part-time arrangements. Teachers are being advised to obtain fresh B.Ed and CTET qualifications to survive — an unreasonable burden on experienced professionals.
This hasty implementation has created a vacuum of confusion — academically for students mid-course, professionally for trained teachers, and institutionally for schools ill-equipped to execute such a sweeping change overnight. We urge the authorities to provide clear transitional protection for ongoing students, a funded reskilling and redeployment scheme for affected teachers, and preservation of foreign language options for schools that have historically offered them.
The Roman Script Advantage It is also worth noting that foreign languages such as French, German, and Spanish use the Roman script — the same script children already know through English. This gives these languages a natural head start. A child familiar with the English alphabet finds it far easier to begin reading and writing in French or Spanish, reducing the initial learning barrier significantly and building confidence early.
In contrast, forcing English-medium students to learn a new Indian language with an entirely unfamiliar script imposes a double burden — a new language and a new script simultaneously — which risks frustration rather than enthusiasm for multilingual learning.
Replacing script-familiar foreign languages with script-unfamiliar alternatives is therefore not in the best interest of the child, and a truly learner-centric policy must take this pedagogical reality into account.
“The implementation of the CBSE third language policy in Nagaland requires special consideration due to the unique linguistic diversity of the state. A flexible and practical approach, supported by both CBSE and the Government, is necessary to ensure that the policy promotes indigenous languages meaningfully without creating an excessive burden on schools and students.”
We remain hopeful that you will respond to this plea with the urgency and humanity it deserves. We stand ready to engage, collaborate, and work alongside you in building a language policy that is genuinely good for Nagaland’s children.
Yours faithfully,
School Leaders and Principals
CBSE-Affiliated Schools of Nagaland
Nagaland,
Northeast India