Back to: Teaching of English, MA Notes, Be d Notes, Graduation Notes
Problems with Adopting Three Language Formula
The retention of English at the secondary level was also suggested be the commission, with the notion that if English language was by any chance removed from the school curriculum, it would prove harmful for India.
The central Advisory Board of Education rejected the suggestions given by the commission. The Board devised a formula for teaching at school level, called ‘Three Language Formula’, in 1956. The said formula recommended that the students at secondary level are required to study at least three languages as a part of their curriculum. The languages were formulated like:
- Mother tongue or the regional language.
- English
- Hindi for non-Hindi speaking area, and Some other modern Indian language for Hindi speaking area.
The formula of the Central Advisory Board of Education, i.e. Three Language Formula, was approved for adoption by the Chief Ministers’ Conference in 1961 and subsequently uphold by the National Integration Council that led to the Language Act that was passed by Indian parliament in 1963.
The formula appeared theoretically sound but practically it was never implemented in letter and spirit. People in general considered the formula heavily language loaded. In the Hindi-speaking areas, there was no motivation for people to learn an additional Indian language.
As expected, the non-Hindi areas resisted the imposition of Hindi on them. The antiHindi DMK government in Chennai stopped the teaching of Hindi in schools.
The formula also failed on account of the heavy financial burden that was involved in teaching the second and third languages for five to six years from Class VI to Class X or XI. Also, the Government did not provide adequate facilities to schools and no definite planning was evolved for the implementation of the formula.
