| Abstract: |
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommends the use of the regional or mother tongue as the medium of instruction (MOI) at least until Grade 5, based on the premise that early learning in a familiar language improves comprehension, retention, and foundational literacy. This study empirically examines the impact of regional-language instruction on the educational achievement of primary school students (Grades 1–5) across government and semi-government schools in Madhya Pradesh, India. A mixed-method approach was used, combining standardized achievement test scores, teacher surveys, and classroom observation data collected from 480 students across 12 schools. Achievement was measured in reading fluency, numeracy, and conceptual comprehension, and compared between regional-language-medium (RLM) and English-medium (EM) cohorts. Results indicate that RLM students significantly outperformed EM peers in reading fluency (mean score 78.4 vs. 61.2) and conceptual comprehension (74.6 vs. 58.9), while numeracy scores showed a smaller but still positive gap. Teacher perception data corroborated these findings, with 82% of teachers reporting improved classroom participation under RLM instruction. However, the study also identifies transition challenges when students shift to English medium at higher grades. The findings support NEP 2020's mother-tongue policy as pedagogically sound for foundational learning outcomes, while highlighting the need for structured English-language scaffolding to ease the eventual transition. This paper contributes empirical evidence to the ongoing policy debate on medium of instruction in Indian primary education. |
