The British Council, the UK’s international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities, has recently hosted a School Education Conference in collaboration with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to improve multilingual pedagogy and practice in classrooms throughout India. The conference was aligned with the most recent policy reforms, such as NEP 2020 and NCF-SE, and focused on enhancing multilingual education to improve learning results.
Sanjay Kumar, IAS, Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy, and Rahul Singh, IAS, Chairperson of CBSE, inaugurated the event. It brought together representatives and policymakers from over 200 schools, educational institutions, and key apex bodies, including CBSE, NCERT, and the English and Foreign Languages University.
By the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the workshops focused on showcasing and exchanging best practices in multilingual education and pedagogy. The discussions primarily revolved around exploring innovative teaching approaches that align with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, specifically for multilingual classrooms.
The conference also served as a platform for educators and policymakers to collaborate on advancing important educational reforms. Trainers from various organizations and UK universities, including the University of Birmingham, Goethe University Frankfurt, ELT Consultant, English and Foreign Languages University, and CBSE, led panel discussions, workshops, and plenary sessions.
Addressing the attendees at the conference, Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of Education and Department of Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, said:
We have embarked on a vital journey to enhance multilingual pedagogy across India. Given our country’s rich linguistic diversity, fostering inclusive educational environments that embrace multiple languages is essential, as the National Education Policy 2020 emphasizes. Our shared efforts are focused on empowering educators with the tools and strategies needed to support multilingualism in the classroom, enabling students to engage more deeply with their learning while nurturing respect for cultural diversity.
The conference’s theme, “Enhancing Multilingual Pedagogy and Practice in the Classroom,” brought together linguists, educators, policymakers, and pedagogical professionals to discuss collaborative strategies.
Alison Barrett MBE, Director India, British Council, stated:
The Central Board of Secondary Education and the British Council have been working together to share knowledge and learning to support transformative classroom change. Our annual school education conference allows meaningful multi-stakeholder dialogue between educators, academics, and school leaders on priority areas aligned with the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education.
The gathering was envisioned to establish an environment where students can prosper academically and personally while honouring and enjoying their language heritage. According to the NEP 2020, multilingualism “not only promotes cognitive development but also enhances empathy and respect for other cultures and languages”—values essential for fostering a cohesive, inclusive, and pluralistic society.
The British Council provides international possibilities for people in the UK and other nations, fostering global trust. The organization offers a variety of specialized arts, education, and English language projects to audiences throughout India and has over 100,000 members through its network of three libraries and cultural centres. It also allows students and teachers to gain access to English language training and learning and study options in the United Kingdom. The platform collaborates with several government ministries and partner groups in India and the United Kingdom to foster mutually beneficial arts, education, and English partnerships.
