Importance of Students in the Debate
The key stakeholder in the three-language debate is the student, especially in public schools, which make up 55% of Tamil Nadu’s student population.
Public school students lack resources for coaching or tuition, unlike private school students, and need support to compete in the job market.
The focus should be on providing a better learning environment, not political rhetoric.
National Education Policy (NEP) Issues
NEP’s goal of improving cognitive abilities and promoting national integration through three languages is questionable.
Technology is making language proficiency less significant for knowledge acquisition, with tools like AI offering easy translations.
Research suggests that proficiency in a mother tongue is more beneficial before adding additional languages.
Educational Challenges
Primary education quality is poor, with 88% of class three students in Tamil Nadu lacking basic literacy.
Adding a third language strains limited school time and resources, preventing deeper learning of essential subjects.
The focus should be on improving teaching quality and fostering skills like critical thinking and creativity.
Feasibility and Balanced Approach
Public schools may struggle to find qualified third-language teachers, leading to poorer education quality.
Offering Hindi as an optional third language from middle school could allow flexibility while considering regional and national needs.
Political debates should not hinder students' ability to compete nationally and globally, with a focus on improving English proficiency for global competitiveness.
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