'Why introduce in Class 9?': SC flags board exam stress, backs third language from Class 6
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Why introduce in Class 9?': SC flags board exam stress, backs third language from Class 6")
Photograph: (ANI)
The Supreme Court asked the Centre and education boards to reconsider introducing a third language from Class 9, suggesting it should begin in Class 6 to reduce pressure on students ahead of board examinations.
The Supreme Court on Thursday (July 16) asked the Centre and education boards to reconsider introducing a third language from Class 9, saying the move would place unnecessary pressure on students as they prepare for their board examinations. The court suggested that the subject should instead be introduced from Class 6.
"Third language should stop in Class 9, not start in Class 9," Justice Nagarathna said while hearing a case related to the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) in Tamil Nadu.
During the hearing, the apex court also advised the Tamil Nadu government not to oppose the Centre's three-language policy merely because it had been introduced by the Union government.
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The remarks came while the court was hearing an appeal against a Madras High Court order directing the state government to facilitate the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas in every district. The schools follow the three-language policy, which Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed, arguing that it is not in line with the state's long-standing two-language policy.
Justice Nagarathna cites board exam pressure
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Justice Nagarathna referred to her own school education and said students in her school started learning a third language during middle school. She said this gave them enough time to become familiar with the language before entering secondary education.
"In the middle school, the third language was started... The earlier, the better," she observed.
Recalling her academic experience in the 1970s, the judge said students were introduced to Class 10 concepts as early as Class 8 because of the demands of board examinations.
"And this was in 1976. You can just imagine what the pressure would be on children now," she said, adding that the burden of Class 10 examinations begins well before students reach secondary school.
The observations come weeks after the Central Board of Secondary Education revised the implementation of its three-language policy following widespread objections from schools, parents and students.
In a circular issued on May 15, CBSE directed affiliated schools to make a third language compulsory for Class 9 students from July 1, 2026, although its revised framework had proposed a phased rollout beginning from Class 6. Schools were also instructed to temporarily use Class 6 textbooks until dedicated learning material becomes available.
