Om Goel
Ghaziabad, India
Abstract
The Indian education system is a reflection of the country’s extensive cultural and linguistic diversity, with multilingual education policies balancing at the pivot of scholarly progress and socio-political controversy. Through this study, the socio-political implications of such policies are analyzed, looking at the ways language schooling, in addition to affecting academic performance, contributes to cultural identity formation, inter-community contact, and regional political dynamics. Through systematic literature review and qualitative content analysis, this paper assesses the historical evolution of multilingual schooling in India, the present challenges it is facing, and its broader implications for unity and political representation. The findings are that while multilingual approaches open up space for inclusive schooling and linguistic empowerment, they also raise issues of regional disparities, politicization, and tensions between national unity and local identity. This study discloses the need for balanced policy measures that value diversity and promote equity and socio-political integration. The manuscript ends by outlining future trends and proposing recommendations for policy improvements to facilitate a more integrated and harmonious schooling system in a country founded on pluralism.
Keywords
multilingual education, India, socio-political implications, language policy, cultural identity, nationalism, education reform
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