The recent decision by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan to scrap German as a third language in Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) schools has raised a lot of concern among parents in the city.
They say the change could have been introduced in the beginning of the academic year. D. Shivshankar, a parent whose children have German as third language, says, “When the school gave the option of learning German, only a few students opted for it. My son is doing well, but the change may now affect his scores.”
Students studying German in classes VI to VIII will now study Sanskrit or any other modern Indian language of their choice. German can be offered as an additional subject, but not as a third language.
Another parent whose son studies in class VII says his child opted for German because the foreign language offers much scope for the future.
“I studied Sanskrit in school and do not have a problem with my son learning it, but it should not be introduced so late, in November,” he says.
A school principal says though the memorandum gives students the option of studying languages other than Sanskrit, it is not always feasible to offer a regional language because the parents of a majority of children at the KVs have transferable jobs.
According to the website of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan Regional Office, there are over 40 schools in Tamil Nadu, including 14 in Chennai.
Prabhakar Narayanan, head, language department, Goethe Institut Chennai, which trains teachers in German, says the language is offered as an option in all the 14 KVs in the city and a majority of the KVs in Tamil Nadu.
Another school principal says most students are already learning Hindi and will be able to adapt. The deputy commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Chennai region, was unavailable for comment.
