PANAJI
The Goa government has granted a relaxation under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, allowing schools offering foreign languages such as French and Portuguese in Classes 8, 9 and 10 to continue teaching them.
The decision comes amid concerns that the implementation of the NEP’s three-language formula could lead to the discontinuation of foreign language options that are widely chosen by students in Goa. The concern was expressed following a three-language policy implemented by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
Under the NEP framework, students are required to study three languages, including two native Indian languages and one foreign language, with English being treated as a foreign language. The policy shift had raised apprehensions among schools and parents over the future of Portuguese and French, which remain popular third-language choices among students.
Sources in the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) said students who opted for the language combination of English, Hindi and Sanskrit in Grades 7 and 8 during the academic year 2025-26 will be allowed to continue with the same combination till completion of Grade 10.
The sources further stated that schools currently offering French or Portuguese in Classes 8, 9 and 10 will be permitted to continue these languages and have been granted relaxation until further orders.
The official said the government decided to address concerns over the continuation of foreign languages by allowing schools already offering French and Portuguese to continue under the existing arrangement.
The official said the alternative would have been to allow students to choose these languages at the cost of English, similar to the system followed in CBSE schools, or to reduce them to elective or extracurricular subjects.
The official further noted that while the NEP encourages the learning of foreign languages such as French, Portuguese and German, these are generally envisaged at higher levels of education. He added that the National Curriculum Framework serves as a guideline and states retain flexibility in determining language policies.
