Why remove only German, not French, Chinese: Private schools

Will teach German till we’re told not to, say principals

German Chancellor Angela Merkel had raised the issue to scrap German as a third language in Kendriya Vidyalayas with PM Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brisbane.

Private schools across Delhi said on Monday they would continue to teach German as part of their curriculum until the government sends a formal communication telling them not to. The decision comes after the Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani defended the decision to replace German with Sanskrit as the third language in Kendriya Vidyalayas, saying it was in violation of the three-language formula.

Teachers also asked why German was being singled out when there are other third-language options such as French and Chinese and insisted that teaching foreign languages was important in today’s global age. “Our young population is among the largest in the world. It is important that we teach them world languages while continuing to emphasise our own,” Ameeta Mulla Wattal, principal of Springdales School, Pusa Road, said.

While Irani has said German would continue to be taught as an “additional subject of hobby class”, principals in Delhi said they were in no rush to change the curriculum. “We believe in providing our students as much exposure to different cultures and languages as possible. We think this is essential for today’s children,” Sanskriti School principal Abha Sehgal said.

Story continues below this ad

About German being chosen for replacement, they said the question is whether or not CBSE allows the teaching of foreign languages as a third language. “It’s not just German, we teach French to our students, others teach Chinese. The problem is that whenever a language like Sanskrit comes up, the discussion becomes unduly sensitive,” Ashok Pandey, principal of Ahlcon International School, Mayur Vihar, said.

A number of schools said they will wait for clearer instructions from the Centre.

“We will follow whatever the government decides. Currently we’re continuing as we did earlier. I think after PM Modi’s meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, things might change,” D R Saini, principal of DPS, RK Puram, said.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram