Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) pilots Tamil as medium of instruction in select schools

COIMBATORE: The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) has initiated steps to identify select Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) where Tamil may be introduced as a medium of instruction on a pilot basis.Dr R. Senthilkumar, Deputy Commissioner, KVS, in a response letter to Coimbatore-based activist V.

Eswaran, stated that the decision was taken following a representation made by Eswaran on January 28 seeking the implementation of Tamil as the medium of instruction at KV Sowripalayam.The response letter, dated February 23, further stated that a decision on implementing the regional language as a medium of instruction in other Kendriya Vidyalayas would be taken based on the outcome and evaluation of the pilot implementation.

The letter stated: “KVs are treated as ‘Special Category Schools’ under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. These schools are primarily established to cater to the educational needs of children of transferable Central Government and defence employees, whose postings may occur in the middle of the academic year. Under Section 2(p) of the RTE Act, 2009, KVs are classified as ‘Special Category Schools’ having a distinct character as specified by the appropriate Government.

Accordingly, they function in accordance with Central Government policies and the admission guidelines issued by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), within the framework of the RTE Act.”Commenting on the response, Eswaran said: “This is a major victory and a positive sign, as leaders in the state have been pressing for this for the past five decades. Education in the mother tongue is a fundamental right of every citizen.

Under Section 29(2)(f) of the RTE Act, the medium of instruction shall, as far as practicable, be in the child’s mother tongue. Furthermore, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 mandates mother-tongue-based education from Classes 1 to 5.

However, these provisions have not been fully implemented so far. This pilot batch should not be restricted to Tamil Nadu but should be extended to other states on a regular basis. Respective regional languages should also be introduced as a subject for students studying in the English medium.”