Have all schools started teaching Marathi, asks Maharashtra education department

State education department seeks to know if schools are facing issues in the implementation of the Act. Representation pic

Maharashtra school education department on Wednesday asked all non-state boards to furnish information regarding the implementation of the Marathi language subject in their affiliated schools, and asked if they need help from the government.

The Legislative Assembly had last year passed the Maharashtra Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Marathi Language in Schools Act, 2020. A committee of MLAs was formed to review its implementation, and it has sought a list with details from the school education department.

The school education department issued a letter on Wednesday evening to all non-state boards. Issued by the State's Joint Secretary Rajendra Pawar, the letter reads, "The SCERT (State Council for Educational Research and Training) will soon circulate a link to compile school-wise data. Schools must be directed to compulsorily share this data with the government at the earliest, as we have to submit a time-bound report to the legislative committee. In order to clear any doubts, it is proposed to soon hold a video conference with all the education boards and if necessary, some selected schools, in the week starting August 23."

Educationist Francis Joseph who is coordinating from the state government's education department on this matter, said, "The Act was implemented from the last academic year, when incidentally online learning mode was introduced. A committee is reviewing the status. The idea is to understand if any support is required from the State Education Department for a more effective approach."

Talking about how most of the non-state board schools have already implemented it, Joseph said, "Schools affiliated to international boards might face challenges in implementation, as they may have students of other nationalities. But as new rules are in the making, it might allow exemption in such cases. The information gathered will be of help."

The Act is applicable to all state and non-state board schools, including CBSE, ICSE and Cambridge, International Baccalaureate. As per the Act, Marathi language shall be introduced as a compulsory subject from Std I to Std VI. It should be added to the syllabus of other classes after each academic year.

2020
Year Act making Marathi mandatory was made

The list of questions asked to schools

. Has Marathi teaching (online-offline) started in your school?
. If so, in which classes?
. How many students are being taught Marathi, class-wise?
. Are Balbharati textbooks being used?
. If so, how many textbooks have been purchased by the school or students?
. Are any other textbooks being used?
. Have teachers been trained in teaching Marathi, and if so, how many teachers?
. Have any additional Marathi teachers been appointed?
. Does the school need any help from the government/SCERT to arrange training?