Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday directed officials to frame the proposed Jharkhand State Language Education Policy in a manner that reflects the state's linguistic, cultural and social diversity while equipping students with the skills required to meet future challenges.
Chairing a meeting at the Jharkhand Secretariat to review the draft policy prepared by the School Education and Literacy Department, Soren emphasised that education should go beyond completing the prescribed curriculum and focus on developing students' knowledge, confidence, communication abilities and practical skills.
He said children often speak their mother tongues and local languages at home and in their communities, while classroom teaching is largely conducted in Hindi or English. The language gap should not affect their understanding, classroom participation or learning outcomes, particularly in the early years of schooling.
The CM stressed that the policy should promote multilingual education by integrating mother tongues, Hindi and English as complementary languages rather than replacing one with another. He advocated an additive multilingual approach in which students learn additional languages without losing proficiency in their first language.
Soren also called for greater emphasis on skill-based education, suggesting that hockey could be considered as part of the initiative. Pointing out that children from Jharkhand have consistently performed well in the sport, he said the education system should provide them opportunities to nurture their sporting talent alongside academics.
Emphasising the importance of communication skills, he directed officials to ensure spoken English classes for students before they complete Class XII. He said proficiency in spoken English would help students pursue higher education, appear in competitive examinations, access employment opportunities and participate in sporting events across the country with greater confidence.
The CM also stressed the need to strengthen digital literacy among students, saying the proposed policy should take into account the requirements of modern classrooms as well as the growing role of technology in competitive examinations and other areas.
During the presentation, officials informed him that a committee for formulating the state language education policy was constituted in 2025. The committee studied educational practices in Jharkhand and other states before preparing the draft.
The proposed policy covers three educational stages — early childhood education to Class II, Classes III to V, and Classes VI to XII. It seeks to integrate mother tongues and local languages into school education at different stages to make learning more accessible and effective.
Officials said the policy would also help preserve and promote Jharkhand's indigenous and regional languages while expanding their use in the formal education system.
Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar, School Education and Literacy Department Secretary Umashankar Singh, Jharkhand Education Project Council State Project Director Shashi Ranjan, Tribal Research Institute Director Alok Shikari Kachhap and JAC Secretary S.D. Tigga were among those present at the meeting.