Four-fold rise in Kendriya Vidyalaya students opting for German despite downgrade

Following the Ministry’s decision, the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, which runs 500 central schools across the country, decided to offer German as a “foreign language” instead of third language from the 2015-16 session.

In the first year after transition, the number of students who studied German dipped by nearly a fifth from 50,978 in 2014-15 to 11,225 in 2015-16, the lowest since the language was introduced in KVs five years ago. But then, the language made a sharp comeback last fiscal to touch 42,918 enrollments in 2016-17.

According to the three-language policy of 1968, KVs offer the official language of the state in which they are located as a third language, English and Hindi being the first and second languages.

In Hindi-speaking states, Sanskrit is offered as a third language. German was initially introduced in central schools in fiscal 2012-13 after a memorandum of understanding between the KVS and the Goethe Institute on September 23, 2011. At the time, German was offered as one of the third languages from classes VI to VIII.

However, the MoU, which was valid for a period of three years, was not renewed by the HRD ministry under the then minister Smriti Irani on the grounds that “some of the provisions of the MoU were not consistent with the provisions of the National Policy on Education (NPE), 1968, as well as the provisions of the National Curriculum Framework, 2005 relating to three language formula”.

The Board of Governors of the KVS, headed by Irani, had in a meeting on October 27, 2014, decided to discontinue the teaching of German language as an option to Sanskrit.

Even as Germany raised the issue with the Centre at various levels, the parents of affected students approached the courts for relief. In December 2014, the Supreme Court accepted the proposal mooted by the Centre that KV students of class VI-VIII will not have to take examinations for Sanskrit in that academic session and be allowed to continue with German as an optional subject.

The bench also asked the KVS to ensure that students, who wanted to pursue German or any other language as optional subjects, be provided with all facilities.

In November 2015, the Union Cabinet gave its nod to the proposal of including German in KVs as an additional subject. The Cabinet granted “ex-post approval” to the ‘Joint Declaration of Intent’ for the promotion of German as an additional foreign language in KVs in conformity with the NPE and the promotion of teaching modern Indian languages in Germany.

“Currently, German is being offered as an additional foreign language in the Kendriya Vidyalayas, which is not in violation of the National Policy on Education. The extant provisions of the policy stipulates that special emphasis needs to be laid on the study of English and other international languages,” said a government official involved in the exercise.