CBSE mandates mother tongue instruction till class 5 in historic shift in Indian schooling

In a major educational reform, India’s largest school board directs over 30,000 schools to teach in children's home language — ushering in a new era of culturally rooted, inclusive learning.

In a groundbreaking move set to reshape India’s primary education landscape, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a formal directive requiring that the medium of instruction from pre-primary to Class 5 be the mother tongue, home language, or a familiar regional language. The policy is poised to roll out as early as July 2025.

This directive, in line with the recommendations of NEP 2020 and NCFSE 2023, represents the first official signal that CBSE may soon mandate mother tongue instruction across all affiliated institutions—impacting over 30,000 schools nationwide.

Language mapping and material overhaul underway

According to the notification issued on May 22, schools must immediately begin language mapping to determine each student’s mother tongue. Educational materials must be redesigned and ready before the end of summer vacation.

For Classes 3 to 5, students may continue learning in their R1 language (mother tongue or a familiar regional tongue), though schools can provide an alternative language medium if needed. For Classes 1 and 2, core subjects like mathematics will also be taught in R1—marking a radical departure from English-dominant instruction.

Rethinking how India teaches

“This step will not only ease learning for children by tapping into the language they think and feel in, but also revitalize India’s linguistic heritage,” said a CBSE official involved in the rollout. “We’re shifting from a top-down approach to an empathetic, student-first pedagogy.”

Schools are now required to constitute an NCF Implementation Committee by May-end, tasked with redesigning syllabi and ensuring a structured introduction of a second spoken language (R2). Teacher training in multilingual methods, classroom strategy, and language-sensitive assessment will be mandatory ahead of the shift.

A cultural and cognitive boost

Research backs the initiative: children taught in their mother tongue in early years grasp concepts more effectively, show improved retention, and feel emotionally anchored in the classroom. Experts believe this move could also bolster regional languages, many of which face decline amid the dominance of English.

Already, the NCERT has made textbooks for Classes 1 and 2 available in 22 Indian languages, with higher-class materials now being translated to ensure a seamless transition.