Odisha Parents’ Association Thanks Dharmendra Pradhan, Welcomes CBSE’s Decision to Teach in Odia Language
Bhubaneswar, 22nd – The CBSE has decided to teach children not only in English but also in about 22 regional languages, including Odia. This move is in line with the new National Education Policy (NEP), which emphasizes a unified curriculum across the country and prioritizes education in a child’s mother tongue. Under this policy, students who prefer can now study in their regional or mother languages.
Many children previously faced difficulties learning in English medium schools, but learning in their native language will now help them understand subjects more easily and clearly. Although implementing this decision is not as simple as it sounds, if it is executed effectively, it will significantly help students who struggle with English. From the coming academic year, the CBSE has also recommended that NCERT publish textbooks in all regional languages. Once books are available in all languages, it will greatly benefit students.
This approach has already begun in some technical and higher education sectors. Now, at the school level, the plan is to implement it from class V and eventually extend it up to class VIII. A common curriculum in the mother tongue across the country is expected to spark more interest among children in learning.
In the context of Odisha, if students are taught through Odia medium under the CBSE, it would be highly beneficial. The state government should view this decision as a role model and, like the existing Adarsha Vidyalayas, start teaching in Odia in some selected CBSE-affiliated schools at the primary level. If this is done, parents will likely shift their children from private schools to these government-run schools, and eventually, this model can be implemented across the state.
Basudev Bhatt, President of the Odisha Parents’ Association, has welcomed this CBSE decision and urged the state government to show its active support. He has also demanded that some schools in each block be affiliated with the CBSE curriculum, just like in other states, so that Odisha’s students get the same opportunities. According to Bhatt, if children from the state study under the CBSE curriculum, they will perform better at the national level.
Importantly, if the NCERT’s regional Odia language textbooks are made mandatory in all schools, children will be relieved from heavy schoolbags, and parents will also be spared from financial exploitation by private institutions. These views were expressed in a press release by association members Prasanna Bishoyi, Bhumohan Patnaik, and Vice-President Ashok Patnaik.
