New Delhi (Agency):In a recent development, the High Court of Karnataka is examining a requirement for schools to teach the Kannada language. This regulation affects CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) and CICSE (Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations) schools, and it has been brought into question by a group of parents.
These parents, twenty in total, have challenged the Kannada Language Learning Act of 2015, the Kannada Language Learning Rules of 2017, and the Karnataka Educational Institutions’ regulations from 2022. As per these rules, learning Kannada as a first, second, or third language is obligatory for students attending these schools.
In the petition, the parents argue that these laws “severely and prejudicially affect the right of school children studying in the State of Karnataka to study a First, Second and Third language of their choice.” They worry that the regulation could negatively influence the students’ academic outcomes and future job prospects.
The petitioners are parents of children studying in CBSE and CICSE schools in the state. The group, which includes Somashekar C, Srinivas Gaonkar, Geraldine Perpetua Andrews, Aneesha Hussain, and 16 other parents, all hail from Bengaluru, the capital city of Karnataka.
The State of Karnataka, the Union of India, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CICSE) are all respondents to the petition. A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice M G S Kamal, is handling the case and has ordered the issuance of notices.
As the case proceeds, it will be watched closely by educators, parents, and policymakers alike. The outcome may potentially have wide-ranging implications for language education policy and student rights in the state of Karnataka, and possibly even beyond.