Bengaluru, (DHNS): The association of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools has urged the government to let parents choose whether they want Kannada as the second or third language for their wards.

At a recent meeting with education department oicials,the association sought that the decision to choose Kannada as the second language be left to parents and individual schools starting this academic year.

The association has, however, assured the education department that it will be ensured that Kannada is mandatorily introduced in all schools as one of the languages or subjects.

"Schools will give parents an option to choose. It is up to them to decide whether they wish to prioritise Kannada or the other languages. Even as the department has agreed to it in principle, we are yet to receive a circular in this regard," said Srinivasan M, president, Managements of Individual CBSE Schools Association.

The department had, in January 2018, issued a circular mandating that Kannada be taught as either the first or second language in schools, irrespective of which education board they come under. Accordingly, some schools had considered introducing an additional language to be able to teach Kannada to students.

Srinivasan said students study two languages up to class V. Between class V and VIII, they study three languages. "We have sought that the government give schools permission to let parents choose," he added.

Meanwhile, there is no clarity on what Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) schools would be expected to do as schools have received no oicial
communication in this regard.

Gayathri, president, Karnataka ICSE Schools Association, however, said that they would go by the previous circular and start teaching
Kannada as either the first or second language.

Speaking to DH about the proposal, P C Jaer,commissioner, Department of Public Instruction, said that the issue about having Kannada as a third language needed to be decided at the government leve