Marathi Subject to be made mandatory in all grades of the Schools

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government will implement the policy of compulsory Marathi education in schools across the state. The State on Thursday announced the formation of an eight-member committee to implement the policy and draft rules regarding the implementation of ‘The Maharashtra Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Marathi Language in Schools Act, 2020’.

The Act prescribes 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. According to Section 16 (1) of the Act, it 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, informing the department.

As per the policy, the rule will be implemented in phases, including two classes each year. For the 2020-21 academic year, Class I and Class VI students will be mandated to study Marathi, followed by Class II and Class VII in 2021-22, Class III and Class VIII in 2022-23, Class IV and Class IX in 2023 -24 and Class V and Class X in 2024-25.

The department said, the focus will be majorly given on the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills of the students in Marathi from classes I to V and self-expression and comprehension will be focused from classes VI to X. For students studying in other mediums, the Union government’s three language rule will apply.

The other members of the committee included Deputy Secretary (School Education) Rajendra Pawar, Maharashtra State Board Secretary Ashok Bhosale, Marathi language department deputy head Jagram Bhatkar, SCERT coordinating officer Vikas Garad, Balbharti special officer Rajiv Patole, Additional Secretary (Marathi language) Nanda Raut and SCERT deputy head Varsharani Bhopale, as per the notification.