I would like to share a historic event related to this topic. In 1952, many students were shot by police while demonstrating in defence of their language- Bengali (also called Bangla) because these students wanted Bengali to be formally recognised as one of the two national languages in what was then Pakistan and is today Bangladesh.

To mark this day, the anniversary of the tragedy is celebrated as International Mother Language Day on February 21 by UNESCO. This highlights the relevance of mother language or vernacular languages in our lives.

• According to the census of 2011 in India a total of 121 mother tongues are there, of which 22 languages are included in the eighth schedule of our Indian constitution and account for the mother tongue of 96.72% Indians.
• An analysis of UDISE+ data of 2019-20 shows that states and union territories having seven to two languages of instruction in schools, one of which belongs to states predominantly spoken language and the other one is the English/Hindi.
• The first category include 25 languages and highly preferred by the students and school faculty members for easy explanations & learnings, while English/Hindi is used to explain higher concepts of Science & Mathematics.

According to the data of National University for education planning and administration, most Indians prefer to teach children at English medium school.

• During the year 2003 to 2006, the English language came in third rank as a medium of instruction.
• In 2003 the figure was 54.7 million which increased to 95.1 million in 2006. Hindi language continues to be the most popular language in a state with the speaking people having the larger populations as compared to the other states of India. 
• The enrollment data provided by National University for education planning, and administration reveals the facts that around 50% of all secondary schools in India study in Hindi medium options and around 8% of them Use Marathi as a learning medium and 6% of them use English.

Lets Analyse:

There is always a debate whether the local language is important in education or not.

• Research conducted by a village school in Bihar in the Motihari district showed that the mother tongue is a key factor for inclusion and quality learning. The students who were taught through vernacular languages had improved learning outcomes and academic performance.
• On the other hand, students whose medium of instruction was not their mother tongue had poorer performance in tests and exams.

Relationship between language and learning

The relationship between language and learning was also studied thoroughly by providing three years of mother-tongue medium education in school.

• The results showed that children could successfully switch over and use another language like English – for learning in schools. This highlights the value of mother-tongue-based multilingual education. It also came to light that a child’s mother tongue or local language is an indispensable medium of instruction during these six to eight years.
• Children easily learn when that learning is based on languages that they understand or the languages easily using in their family and surroundings. 
• By doing this, local knowledge is conveyed through a local language. Children and teachers who grow up in multilingual contexts know how to use their multilingualism to communicate effectively and efficiently yielding better results.

Chhattisgarh Case

In Chhattisgarh, the study conducted showed how the achievements have been influenced by the use of local language in the teaching methods in the particular area. Despite the available material like books and other supplied material, local language while teaching simplifies the matter that enables students to understand the subject matter easily and in an effective way.

• Many researchers have given the view that the mother language is not significant for learning scientific concepts. 
• Whereas others have given the view that vernacular language is most important as most of the children especially in the tribal area are unable to understand the regional language and find difficulty in studying in the classroom as they are most acquainted with their own language and vocabulary.
• However, teachers of that particular region also have the experience and feel the same thought - 78% of teachers said it is important to teach in the local language/mother tongue in primary school, especially children of this particular region who do not have access to the external world. They are still confined to their own language because they are used to speaking it in their own house and villages. Teaching in their own language will make them more comfortable and they will probe more and more ensuring the process of learning is easier and the communication will be perfect.

TEACHERS Thought

When teachers find something difficult to explain to the student, the local language facilitates explaining and making the student understand. Based on this opinion it is clear that teachers also find the language helpful and students also can easily understand.

• When Children are familiar with most of the local vocabulary, they know things better and understand it better. When we are teaching them in a language they are not well-versed with, it is literally confusing them initially. Local language speeds up the learning process, relationship building with peers and teachers and students never feel that they are learning new things. In this way, Contextual education and induction of local language makes things easy to understand for the students.
• There is enough research and evidence to prove the fact that if children are taught in the mother tongue, particularly in the foundational years between ages 3 to 8 then they have higher attention, higher proficiencies, lesser repetition of grades and improved test scores. Given the available resources, bilingual teaching with the aid of bilingual textbooks and e-Content, this can be a great start to secure the future of learners and their abilities.

The national education policy 2020 states that wherever possible the medium of instruction until at least grade 5, but preferably till grade 8, and beyond will be home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language for both public and private schools in india.

Vernacular language education holds immense significance in shaping children's personalities and fostering their holistic development. From cultural preservation to cognitive advancement, Identity Formation, Communication Proficiency, the advantages are profound.

Strategies that Enhance Vernacular Language Education and Personality Development

● Teacher Training and Professional Development, Curriculum Enrichment, Multimodal Learning Resources, Community Engagement, Multilingual Education, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy.

• Education in vernacular languages is not only about language proficiency but nurturing the whole child and cultivating a strong sense of identity, belongingness, and cultural pride.
• By embracing vernacular language education and implementing tailored strategies, we can empower children and facilitate their communication skills.
• Effective communication between teachers and students is crucial for learning to take place because When teachers are unable to communicate effectively with their students, it leads to a breakdown in this teaching-learning process and the development of children.
• More vernacular-content-driven education by various educational institutions and upcoming and existing EdTech platforms will make education a great equalizer both in theory and in practice.