Archive · 3 Oct 2026
Why India’s Classrooms Should Begin With a Child’s First Language
Vineet Nayar says children learn best when they can understand the language used in class.
If a child cannot follow the words, she may stop asking questions, even if she is curious.
She might then think she is not smart, when the real problem is the language barrier.
Nayar says children should have the chance to learn first in a familiar language.
He also wants every child to learn English and other languages.
He believes children need more than correct answers, especially now that computers can provide many answers quickly.
They also need to ask good questions, test ideas and learn from mistakes.
He calls this ability the “fourth language.”
Teachers can help it grow by listening to children’s questions and encouraging curiosity.
Vineet Nayar argues that children should begin learning in a language they understand well, often their mother tongue.
He says language barriers can stop children from asking questions and make them mistake difficulty understanding for a lack of ability.
Nayar supports access to English and other languages, but argues that children should not have to learn every subject through English.
He says confidence, curiosity, experimentation and the ability to question answers will matter as artificial intelligence produces answers quickly.
He calls the ability to ask questions the “fourth language,” nurtured when teachers welcome curiosity and allow children to make mistakes without embarrassment.
- Who
- Vineet Nayar, writing about children, teachers and education in India.
- What
- Nayar argues for beginning education in a language children understand, while also teaching English and other languages, and for nurturing children’s ability to ask questions.
- When
- As artificial intelligence becomes more common in classrooms and workplaces.
- Where
- India’s education system, particularly its classrooms and government schools.
- Why
- Nayar says familiar-language instruction can help children understand lessons and participate confidently, while curiosity and questioning help them think beyond answers generated by machines.
- Author
- Vineet Nayar
- Organization
- Sampark Foundation
- Author’s role
- Founder Chairman of Sampark Foundation and former CEO of HCLT
- Central proposal
- Begin a child’s education in a language the child understands, then provide English and other languages.
- “Fourth language”
- The ability and confidence to ask questions.
- AI-related concern
- Machines can produce answers quickly, making questioning, experimentation and critical thinking increasingly important.