No need to make Sanskrit must in schools: Panel

No need to make Sanskrit must in schools: Panel

 

A committee on revival of Sanskrit language headed by former chief election commissioner N Gopalaswami, has made wide-ranging recommendations but made it clear that the language need not be made compulsory in schools. Instead, under the three language formula, schools and examination boards should ensure that the language is taught and available to those who are interested.

The seven-member committee, set up by the HRD ministry, has said that all Sanskrit Pathshalas and Vedic Schools should be affiliated to some board like Maharishi Sandipani Veda Vidya Pratisthan of Ujjain.

Speaking to TOI, Gopalaswami said, “We are against making any language compulsory. “ The committee led by him has also recommended a paradigm shift in the pedagogy of Sanskrit. “We have recommended that grammar translation method of teaching Sanskrit should be done away with. All over the world every language is taught in the target language. Same should be done in case of Sanskrit. Teaching should be in Sanskrit and not in any other language. Current teachers should be made aware of new methodologies.“

Related to this, Gopalaswami said is the problem that Sanskrit is first taught through grammar.  “No language is learnt by learning grammar first.Grammar should be introduced unobtrusively . This calls for change in methodology,“ he said. It has also recommended that a vocabulary of commonly used Sanskrit words be built so that the language is standardised and simplified.

The committee has also said that if Sanskrit has to become popular, textbooks of all subjects should be available in Sanskrit.

Source | Times of India | 5 February 2016