From Classrooms to Chatrooms: Foul Language Spike Worries CBSE
Newz Desk, Durgapur: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has expressed serious concern over the growing use of abusive and inappropriate language among school students, especially teenagers. The board has issued an advisory urging parents and teachers to monitor students’ speech habits and keep a close watch on the kind of online content they consume.
According to the CBSE, many students are increasingly using three- and four-letter expletives casually in everyday conversations—often without understanding the meaning or implications of such language. The board has stressed the need for families and schools to counsel students regularly and guide them toward more respectful communication.
The issue first came to light in Uttarakhand, where Anupam Jagga, principal of a prominent CBSE school in Haridwar and the board’s regional coordinator, wrote to the CBSE highlighting the disturbing rise in crude language and the sharing of inappropriate content among students. The observations were based on recent counselling sessions conducted at the school.
“What is most alarming is the rapid deterioration in language standards,” Jagga noted. “In the past few years, the casual use of obscene words has grown at an unsettling rate, even in the most ordinary interactions.”
CBSE treated the concern as significant and issued a formal advisory to schools across the country.
Problem Not Limited to CBSE Schools
Schools across West Bengal—irrespective of the board they follow—report similar patterns. Many institutions say that while occasional slang or rude language was not uncommon earlier, a large segment of today’s students use such expressions freely, often ignoring context, setting or audience.
Arun Dasgupta, principal of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, said, “The use of slang has increased at a pace faster than our infrastructural capacity to control it. We cannot assign one teacher to monitor each student. We can only keep explaining and counselling them repeatedly.”
Dasgupta attributes the trend largely to unregulated content on OTT platforms. “There is no filter on what is being shown or said online. Without stricter government regulations, these influences cannot be curtailed,” he said.
South Point School principal Jaydeep Ghosh echoed the concern. “Repeated warnings are not showing much impact. We haven’t received the CBSE advisory yet, but once we do, it will certainly be implemented. The school is taking several internal measures as well,” he added.
Schools Divided on How to Respond
At La Martiniere for Boys and La Martiniere for Girls, the approach is far more stringent. Secretary Supriya Dhar said, “We take direct and immediate action. If a student uses obscene language, we suspend the student and summon the parents. Being strict is the only way to curb this.”
However, many psychologists argue that harsh punishment alone may not solve the issue. They recommend patient explanation, helping students understand the meanings and consequences of the words they use—especially since many do not grasp the gravity of such language.
Experts also emphasize the importance of closely monitoring what children watch online, as digital exposure remains the primary source of such vocabulary.
As schools prepare to address the challenge more systematically, the CBSE advisory is expected to guide institutions and families toward fostering healthier communication habits among students.
