Punjabi made mandatory in all schools of Punjab till class 10th

NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 19: In an application to the chairman of CBSE and ICSE boards, the Department of School Education, Punjab requested the Boards to implement section 3 of the ‘Punjab Learning of Punjabi and Other Languages Act 2008’ making Punjabi as a compulsory subject from classes 1 to 10 in all schools.

The department also said that no board or institutions shall award matriculation certificates unless he/she passes the 10th class exams as a compulsory Punjabi subject. It was requested to ensure that all schools in Punjab affiliated with them to teach the Punjabi subject as mandated by the law.

Apart from the above, it was also pointed out that the department received complaints that some of these schools discourage students to speak in Punjabi during informal discussions with students and teachers. This impacts the mental development of students as some of them find difficult to express themselves in other languages.

Keeping in mind these complaints, the department has also asked CBSE and CISCE to issue the directions to their schools that they do not discourage the students to speak in Punjabi.