April 19: Several CBSE schools in Calcutta where learning Hindi is not compulsory are in a tizzy over a proposal to make the national language a compulsory subject till Class X.

In most city schools affiliated to the CBSE, Hindi is currently one of the language options given to students till Class X.

Officials of at least two reputable schools said up to 25 per cent of their students between classes VI and VIII do not opt for Hindi either as a second or third language. They prefer Bengali to be their second language and choose Sanskrit, French or German as the third language.

"In my school, more than 20 per cent of the students in classes VI to VIII do not take Hindi. They choose Bengali as their second language and Sanskrit or a foreign language as the third," said Mukta Nain, principal of Birla High School.

At the Apeejay schools, Hindi is the preferred option either as a second or third language. Sanskrit is popular in some schools such as Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. "We have several students who take Bengali as the second language and Sanskrit as the third," said Rekha Vaisya, principal of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

Learning a third language is compulsory in the CBSE curriculum till Class VIII.

While the majority of students study Hindi either as a second or third language, many Bengali-speaking students would rather take their native tongue and a foreign language as their second and third papers. "We wonder how these students who choose not to study Hindi would react if the proposal takes effect," said the principal of another CBSE school in Calcutta.

The move to make Hindi compulsory till Class X has come from the central government. The Telegraph reported on Wednesday that President Pranab Mukherjee had endorsed the proposal to make learning Hindi compulsory up to Class X in CBSE schools.

Since English is the medium of instruction in the majority of CBSE schools in Calcutta, Hindi and Bengali are available only as second and third-language options.

If Hindi becomes a compulsory paper till Class X, it would mean that every student would be required to make it their second-language paper from the primary level, starting Class I. Some schools said they were wary of the move because it would discourage children from learning a foreign language.

A school principal said: "If Hindi becomes compulsory, the Bengali-speaking students would want to opt for their mother tongue as the third language. This will make them drop the idea of studying a foreign language. Students who want to go abroad for higher studies benefit from learning a foreign language."

Hindi was so far taught as a compulsory paper in Kendriya Vidyalayas. Private English-medium institutions, particularly those in the non-Hindi speaking states, were allowed to keep the subject in the list of options for second and third languages.

Implementing the proposal would also require schools to increase or restructure teaching strength. "We came to know about the move today. Let's see what the board plans to do," said Anushree Ghosh, principal of Delhi Public School, Ruby Park.