Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa government has provided a relaxation under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, permitting schools that currently offer foreign languages such as French and Portuguese in Classes 8, 9 and 10 to continue with their existing language programmes.
The move comes amid concerns that the implementation of the NEP’s three-language formula could impact the availability of widely preferred foreign language options in the state. The issue has gained attention in the wake of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) adopting the language framework under NEP.
As per the policy, students are expected to study three languages, typically comprising two Indian languages and one additional language, with English treated as a foreign language. This has raised apprehensions among parents and schools regarding the continuation of Portuguese and French, which are popular choices among students in Goa.
Sources from the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) said students who opted for English, Hindi and Sanskrit in Classes 7 and 8 during the 2025–26 academic year will be allowed to continue with the same combination up to Class 10.
They added that schools presently offering French and Portuguese in Classes 8 to 10 have been permitted to continue the subjects under a relaxation granted until further orders.
Officials said the decision was taken to address concerns over the continuity of foreign language education in schools. They noted that alternatives, including shifting these languages to elective status or modifying combinations, were considered but not implemented at this stage to avoid disruption.
They further stated that while NEP encourages the learning of foreign languages such as French, Portuguese and German, these are generally intended at higher education levels, with states retaining flexibility under the National Curriculum Framework.
