New Delhi : The decision to discontinue teaching of German as a third language will not have any impact on the youth in preparing them for a globalised world, parliament was told Wednesday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Human Resource Development (HRD) Upendra Kushwaha said foreign languages would be taught to Kendriya Vidyalaya students of Class 6 to 8 as an additional subject or hobby class, if they so desire, “but not as a third language as it violates the three language formula”.
“As such, the decision to discontinue teaching of German as a third language would not have any impact upon the Indian youth in preparing them for a globalised world,” he said.
“Besides German, Chinese is also being offered in some Kendriya Vidyalayas as a hobby class,” he said.
Kushwaha said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) dated Sep 23, 2011 was entered between the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and the Geothe-Institut to introduce German as a third language for KV students.
“Some of the provisions of the MoU were not consistent with the provisions of the National Policy on Education, 1968 relating to the three language formula as well as the provisions of the National Curriculum Framework,” he said.
In a separate reply, HRD minister Smriti Irani said that as of date, no MoU exists between KVS and any private organisation for training language teachers, including Sanskrit teachers in German language.
“However, two MoUs were entered into with the Goethe-Institut to train teachers as well as, inter alia, help recruit contractual teachers to teachers German. However, these MoUs have not been renewed,” she said.
She had earlier announced that KVs have decided to discontinue teaching German as an alternative to Sanskrit as a third language, a decision she said was taken in view of “national interest”.
She had also asked the Kendriya Vidyalaya board, which she heads, not to renew its 2011 MoU with the Goethe-Institut, which provided the KVs with 700 German teachers.
The issue was also raised by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in her first meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi Nov 16 during the G20 summit in Australia.