Telugu language compulsory in all schools in Telangana; Government orders CBSE, ICSE and IB boards to take decision!

 

 

Telangana makes Telugu compulsory in Schools: Although Marathi language is compulsory in all schools and all boards in Maharashtra, Marathi is taught as an optional subject in schools of many boards. Therefore, the demand for teaching Marathi language in all schools from class 1 is gaining momentum in Maharashtra, the Telangana government has taken an important decision. The Telangana government has made Telugu compulsory in all schools and the state school education department has issued a government decision in this regard. This order is applicable to schools affiliated to all boards including CBSE, ICSE and International Baccalaureate (IB).

 

The new order will be applicable for class IX students from the academic year 2025-26. For class X students, the order will be applicable from the academic year 2026-27. “This decision has been pending since 2018 and the government has now decided to implement it,” an education department official told The Indian Express.

 

CSBE students of classes IX and X will be allowed to study “Sadhi Telugu” instead of standard Telugu or Singidi. This language is called Venela, the order said. Most of the schools in Telangana are government schools where Telugu education is common. However, schools under boards outside the state do not teach Telugu to a large extent.

 

 

“Efforts are being made to continue Telugu education for the younger generation. This was one of the recommendations made by the Telugu Abhijat Bhasha Samiti long ago,” said an education department official. Incidentally, Telangana has decided to make Telugu compulsory at a time when its neighbouring state Tamil Nadu is opposing the National Education Policy, which imposes Hindi on students. 

 

More than a third of schools in Telangana are English medium. This decision is not an attempt to distance students from English but an attempt to introduce them to their mother tongue. Students in the state should be able to read and write in the local language, says an educationist. English medium was introduced in government schools in 2008. At that time, Telangana was part of Andhra Pradesh.