Hyderabad: The state govt’s diktat on compulsory teaching of Telugu till class 10 has put students in a pickle in several schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). These schools, including some top ones in the city, have now made Telugu as the sole second language and stopped offering Hindi, Urdu etc., from the academic year 2025-26.
This despite the CBSE not giving any orders on implementing the state’s direction on Telugu. The schools, therefore, cannot implement it without the board’s nod, said teachers.
These schools, however, pointed out that in classes 9 and 10, along with English and core subjects, they have option to offer only a second language and there is no third language. Hence, Telugu has been made the compulsory second language to ensure students are ready before board exams, they said.
Criticising the move, Ameer Khan, chairperson, Hyderabad Sahodaya Schools Complex (HSSC), said: “I don’t understand why some schools are in a hurry to make Telugu as mandatory second language. It is true that we got orders from the state on this, but we also have similar orders from CBSE about Hindi. Now, our only option is to wait for CBSE orders to decide whether or not to implement Telugu.”
Principals, who are part of HSSC, which has all CBSE schools in the city as members, also blamed the schools for creating confusion instead of waiting for state and CBSE to resolve the issue.
Moreover, the issue is not limited to classes 9 and 10. There are some schools who have now made Telugu second language from class 1 and others from class 5, instead of offering it as third language. The govt, in its order, had nowhere said that Telugu has to be the second language, pointed out teachers.
Many parents, who hail from other states but work in Hyderabad, alleged that schools have unilaterally changed their child’s second language without taking parents’ consent. They pointed out that the whole purpose of joining a CBSE school is lost as they are forced to learn Telugu instead of Hindi or any other language of their choice.
Suruchi Todi, whose son is in class 9, said it would be unfair to expect her son to learn and appear for board exam in Telugu in a year.
Priyanka Sharma, another parent, said while they recognise the importance of preserving regional identity and culture, it is equally important for parents and students to have a voice in their educational choices, especially regarding language options.
Caught in the middle, children and parents are now up in arms against the move.
About 1,500 parents have started a campaign demanding that the govt revoke its decision as it would be difficult for children to learn the subject in higher classes and appear for board exams. Instead, they suggested that it should be offered as third language, in a phased manner.
In the last 10 days, they tried meeting various officials and politicians to air their grievance. On Wednesday, they started an email campaign to highlight the issue and fight for their right – ‘Freedom to Choose Language’.
“We are not against learning the language. Let it be the third language. It doesn’t make any sense to ask my daughter, who is in class 7, to study Telugu as second language,” said Rahul Kejriwal, who owns a glass manufacturing firm.
Kejriwal, who is part of the core committee of this campaign, said they are trying all means to ensure Telugu is not imposed. Parents are also worried that children’s overall performance will go down if they have to learn a new language in higher classes.
Maha Dharna on April 5
Parents are planning to organise a ‘maha dharna’ at Dharna Chowk near Indira Park and are waiting for police permission. They said the problem would only get bigger in June when schools open. They are even planning to take the legal route to stop ‘Telugu imposition’.
Quotes:
At the start of the academic year, even we made Telugu mandatory, but had to roll back our decision after parents’ uproar. Now, we are offering other languages as per the CBSE curriculum. We will wait for orders from CBSE to take a decision now.
A principal of CBSE school
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In two years, after my elder child completes her class 12, we might move back to Karnataka. If my son is made to opt for Telugu now in class 7, what will he do when we move back? Even if we continue to be here, how will he cope? The govt should instead make it an optional subject with no board examination.
Shruthi Jagadeesh, a parent
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My son went to school after the new academic year began and after seeing his timetable we got to know that his second language is now Telugu. I am working in the IT industry and have to relocate frequently. If every state makes its language mandatory, how will he continue his education? What’s the point in joining a CBSE school then?
Krishna Dash, a parent.
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