Government of Maharashtra forms committee to implement Compulsory Marathi Education in school
The Maharashtra government on Thursday announced the formation of an eight-member committee to implement the policy of compulsory Marathi education in schools across the state to draft rules regarding the implementation of ‘The Maharashtra Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Marathi Language in Schools Act, 2020’.
The Maharashtra Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Marathi Language in Schools Act, 2020 was passed in both the houses of the state legislature in the last budget session.
The Act mandates compulsory teaching and learning of Marathi in all government and private schools from Class 1 to 10 across all mediums and boards in Maharashtra, stated a government resolution release. Section 16 (1) of the Act allows the state to frame rules for the law that came into being on April 1. The eight-member committee will be headed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Director Dinkar Patil.
“The committee will ensure that schools across the state belonging to different boards like CBSE, ICSE, IB and IGCSE abide by the guidelines issued by the state with respect to teaching the language. The committee will keep a tab on schools across the state for the effective implementation of the policy,” said a member of the committee.
The rule has been in effect in the state from the current academic year (2020-21). In the first year, it is being implemented for classes 1 and 6. Every year it would be extended—to classes 2 and 7 in 2021-22, classes 3 and 8 in 2022-23 and likewise– until it is implemented unto Class 10.
Teachers said that constant follow ups with schools from other boards will be helpful in bringing uniformity in teaching the language in international schools.
“Several schools have implemented the rule only for the sake of it and are only teaching the subject in bits and parts. Strict monitoring is thus very important,” said the teacher of a Kandivali based IGCSE school.
