Kannada script complex, says draft State Curriculum Framework

Even as the state government is pushing compulsory Kannada in higher education, the draft State Curriculum Framework (SCF) released for the foundation level education describes the language ‘complex’.

The draft released by the Department of School Education and Literacy recently, which is available on public domain, says the Kannada script is far more complex than English or even Devanagari. “A challenge that is unique to Karnataka is the complexity of the Kannada script. The Kannada script is far more complex than English or even Devanagari and takes longer to master,” reads the draft.

The committee constituted to give recommendation and frame the draft curriculum has asked the state to decide at which grade children will be expected to achieve the foundational skills in literacy, in particular. It also recommends the state government to bring in a ‘one size fits all’
policy.

The draft refers to few studies conducted in the past by various organisations on complexity of languages. “The Literacy Research in Indian Languages (LiRIL) 26, a Study of Literacy Acquisition in Kannada (2013-2016) was conducted in one district of Karnataka over a period of three years. The study gave some insights (which is reinforced by other research evidence), about the nature of the Kannada script and how it affects children’s ability to master reading,” it stated.

The draft recommends a language or medium of instruction policy to be evolved for the state, after wide-ranging stakeholder discussions that take into account geographical mapping of the wide linguistic diversity, with a view to balance out research evidence on what is best for children and parental aspirations.