Role and Significance of English Language in National Education Policy 2020

Overview

The National Policy of India 2020 clearly declares that:

“English is a language; it is not a test of your intelligence” (NEP2020).

1. National Education Policy 2020 was approved by the Union Cabinet on 29th July 2020.
2. It outlines the visions of education in India.
3. It replaces the Education Policy of 1986.
4. It is a guideline of education in India.
5. It aims to reform India’s education system by 2040

Medium of Instruction:

The NEP2020 has advocated that “Where ever possible, the medium of instruction until at least Grades 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language/ mother tongue/ local language/ regional language” for public and private school.

Emphasis on Three Language System:

1. At least two of the three languages should be native
2. But it should not be imposed on the students.

Role and significance of English Language:

1. Has global importance.
2. Link language.
3. Job oriented language.
4. Language of science, aviation, computers, diplomacy
5. Many books , papers and journals are in English only
6. Language of internet.
7. Language of media and aviation industries.

Steps  of Education Ministry is worth appreciating:

1. The Education Ministry has set up a committee for promotion and growth of Indian Languages. The NEP believes that children learn better in their home language while English is favoured in labour market.
2. It is contradictory believe
3. Only oblivion. 

Myth of English language:

1. We are destroying our mother tongue for the obsession of English.
2. We are learning English at the cost of our own languages. Obsession with English Language.
3. We all are killing off or at least neglecting our mother tongue by our obsession with English.
4. It is a means of destroying one’s community.
5. With the loss of language, a community loses its culture.
6. Loss of culture means loss of a community.

NEP2020 is a boon for Indians:

1. Savour of our mother tongue.
2. Mother tongues lead to better understanding of what is taught
3. UNESCO notes that being educated in a familiar language “facilitates an understanding of sound-symbol or meaning-symbol correspondence”. Mother tongues make easy to learn a New Language:
4. Many Pedagogical studies show that after acquiring basic literacy and communication skills in mother tongue, it becomes much easier to transform these skills to learn new language.

The Realty: 

1. The reality has other face.
2. Since English is favored in market, we are bound to learn English.
3. Without English we cannot survive in this competitive world
4. 4Keeping this in mind NEP has only given suggestion, has not banned English. This is appreciable.