J&K mandates mother tongue, home language as instruction medium in schools

Srinagar: The Jammu & Kashmir Government has announced that the mother tongue or home language will be the primary medium of instruction during the early school years in Jammu and Kashmir, with a gradual transition to other languages.
The directive, issued by the SCERT-J&K to strengthen Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) for children aged 3 to 8, aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 and the NIPUN Bharat Mission. It applies to all government schools, government-aided schools, and Anganwadi centres. According to the circular issued by the Government Schools must build early language skills through listening and speaking opportunities like storytelling and rhymes. Classrooms must feature print-rich environments, including word walls and charts. Rote alphabet drills are discouraged in favor of play-based approaches, daily phonological awareness, and a natural writing progression from scribbling to short sentences.Formal written exams are banned at the preschool level, replaced instead by continuous, observation-based formative assessments.Mathematics will focus on conceptual understanding through experiential activities like sorting and classification. Instruction will build number sense, counting skills, and introduce basic arithmetic using concrete objects and real-life contexts.Teaching must be child-centric and utilize the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach. Heads of Institutions, teachers, and Zonal Education Officers are responsible for ensuring students meet these competencies. The circular reads “In order to ensure uniform and effective implementation of FLN goals across the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, there shall be use of home language, mother tongue as the primary medium in early years, with gradual bridging to additional languages.” The circular further reads “There shall be daily engagement in phonological awareness activities such as rhyming, syllable segmentation, blending, and sound identification.”, adding that “There shall be a continuous and observation-based formative assessment; formal written examinations at preschool level are strictly prohibited,” it reads.