MARATHI MUST IN SCHOOLS RULE TO COME INTO EFFECT THIS YR

The state education department on Monday announced the implementation of the government’s rule of making Marathi a compulsory subject in schools across all education boards in Maharashtra.

This academic year, the rule will be introduced for Classes one and six.

In a government resolution(gr) on Monday, the department said that schools across the state, which are running different boards and offering various mediums of instructions, will have to teach Marathi as a compulsory subject starting from the academic year of 2020-21.

“The rule will be implemented in phases. In the first year, it will be implemented for Classes 1 and 6. Every year, it will be extended further, in Classes 2 and 7 in 2021-22, Classes 3 and 8 in 2022-23 and likewise, until it is implemented unto Class 10,” read the GR.

The mandate is a part of the Maharashtra Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Marathi Language in Schools Bill, 2020, which was passed in both the houses of the state legislature in the last budget session.

Schools that follow boards other than the state boards — ICSE, CBSE, IB, among others — would have to adhere to the syllabus and teaching plan for the language as prescribed by the state education department from time to time.

While most CBSE and ICSE schools have started their new academic year from April, some will begin their academic year in June.

Currently, all learning across boards is happening online as schools have not reopened in the state yet. Like all other subjects, Marathi will also be taught remotely for now.

Meanwhile, teachers said that it is a good step that the department has decided to implement the decision in a phase-wise manner.