Former MLC Vitapu Balasubramanyam (second from left) and UTF leaders at a round table on three-language formula, in Vijayawada on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: K.V.S. GIRI
A roundtable organised by Andhra Pradesh United Teachers Federation (UTF) on Thursday passed a resolution that Centre should give States the freedom to provide a choice to their people to learn languages suited to their needs.”
Former MLC Vitapu Balasubrahmanyam said it was not right on the part of the Centre to link the grant of funds to a State with the implementation of the three-language formula. “It should be left to the States to provide opportunities for learning languages that are suited to the needs of their people,” he insisted.
He said it was impossible for the country to develop without a strong foundation in the mother tongue and pointed out that the National Education Policy 2020 also recommended instruction in the mother tongue up to the 8th grade. The former MLC said children should learn languages based on their learning abilities and needs and they should not be forced to learn a particular language. “This ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to language learning, does not work with diverse needs of children,” he said.
Pointing to the fact that some states were still following a two-language policy instead of the three-language formula, Mr. Balasubrahmanyam said the Centre should check whether all states were implementing the new policy. “India officially recognises 27 languages and it is inappropriate to impose a single language for the entire country,” he maintained.
He said after the advent of corporate-style education policies, the focus on language education had been lost and demanded the implementation of federal spirit as enshrined in the Constitution. He reiterated that States should be given the freedom to implement language policies that are scientific and uphold democratic values.
Other speakers also called for a unified platform to insist on and protect the scientific language policy.
UTF State president N. Venkateshwarlu, Andhra Pradesh Teachers Federation (1938) State general secretary S. Chiranjeevi, Kula Vyatireka Porata Samithi (KVPS) State general secretary Andhra Malyadri, Jana Vignana Vedika State leaders K. Srinivas, UTF State Secretary SP. Manohar Kumar, chairman of the publications division M. Hanumanth Rao, and others participated.
Published – March 20, 2025 08:32 pm IST
