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Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Decode Politics: Why ‘Hindi imposition' row is back again in Maharashtra
A Maharashtra government order issued earlier this week has brought back the 'Hindi imposition' conversation in the state. In April, following a barrage of criticism, the Maharashtra government withdrew its decision to make Hindi the mandatory third language for Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and Hindi-medium schools under the state board. In the new Government Resolution (GR) issued on Tuesday, the state government removed the word 'mandatory', but because of restrictive conditions on alternatives to Hindi as a third language, many are claiming this is a 'new push' for Hindi. However, the state government still insists Hindi is just an 'optional' language. The new GR is a revision of the earlier order that said three languages would be taught from Class 1 in Marathi and English-medium state board schools, with Hindi as the mandatory third language. The established practice for these schools in Maharashtra has been to introduce a third language to students in secondary school or after Class 5. The order was withdrawn after criticism from political parties and education experts, and an assurance was given that a new resolution would be issued to clarify that Hindi would just be an 'option' as a third language. The latest GR states, 'Hindi will generally be the third language for classes 1 to 5.' If students wish to 'study any other Indian language instead of Hindi as their third language', they will be permitted to do so if a 'minimum of 20 students from the same class in the same school' express 'interest in learning that particular language'. If not, the GR says, 'language will be taught through online methods'. The inclusion of the word 'generally' has sparked fresh criticism. The revised order, according to the critics, fails to provide any options or alternatives to Hindi apart from stating that it has to be an Indian language. They say that there are multiple Indian languages and the state has to clarify what can be taught and define the curriculum. Educationist Kishore Darak also identified the need for a structured curriculum for third languages. 'Teaching pedagogies for languages are different. The assumption is that those who can teach Marathi can teach Hindi … The script of the two languages is similar but that does not mean no extra effort by children or teachers in terms of learning,' he said. Teachers have also questioned how the government plans to make arrangements for students when they want to study an alternative language. Some have even raised objections about the need for 20 students per class as a prerequisite to studying another language. Senior educationist Vasant Kalpande said that 'over 80% government-run schools' in Maharashtra would not be able to meet the criteria, thereby automatically making Hindi the default third language. 'A lot of government-run schools have a total enrollment of less than 20 students in a class. Hindi will then become, by default, the third language. And with no curriculum, no textbooks and no teachers (for other languages), no government-run school will be able to provide an option to Hindi,' Kalpande said. Girish Samant, the chairman of the Shikshan Mandal Goregaon, which runs a popular Marathi medium school in suburban Mumbai, flagged issues with the direction on online teaching. 'This is very unclear as the government is asking schools to seek online platforms to teach languages alternative to Hindi without providing a curriculum, textbooks or any other support. The main problem stands… The government does not justify how language can be taught online to Class 1 students.' After the revised GR sparked a heated debate, state school education minister Dada Bhuse issued a clarification on Wednesday evening. 'Marathi will be a compulsory subject in all schools, regardless of the medium of instruction. Strict action will be taken against schools that do not teach Marathi,' Bhuse said, doubling down on the importance given to Marathi. An official from the school education department said detailed guidelines would be issued soon on alternatives to Hindi. After the original order was issued in April, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray took the most aggressive stand on the issue, joined by his cousin and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. The state Congress, too, joined the regional parties to staunchly oppose the alleged imposition of Hindi in state schools. The MNS, whose core plank is built around Marathi identity politics, has again strongly criticised the new GR and warned that such a move threatens the cultural and linguistic identity of the state. 'Why is Hindi being forced only in Maharashtra? Are you going to teach Marathi as the third language in Bihar or elsewhere in the country?' Raj Thackeray asked at a press conference on Wednesday. The MNS chief has also written to school principals, advising them against implementing the order. The Congress targeted the government, saying the latter 'was merely playing with words'. 'This is a part of the RSS's strategy of imposing Hindi on all regions and destroying the regional culture,' alleged Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said the three-language formula is as per the recommendations of the New Education Policy (NEP). 'We are backing English but hating Indian languages. This is not appropriate. Indian languages are better than English… Earlier, we had said that the third language should be Hindi. Now we have removed the 'mandatory' clause. Students can learn any other third language, but there should be 20 students in a class. We will provide teachers. We will also provide online teaching,' Fadnavis said.
Scroll.in
2 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Hindi to be ‘generally' taught third language in Maharashtra schools
The Maharashtra government on Tuesday issued an order making Hindi a 'generally' taught third language for students from Class 1 to Class 5 in Marathi and English medium schools, PTI reported. According to the amended order, if 20 students per grade in a school wish to study any other Indian language, they can opt out of Hindi. If such a demand arises, either a teacher will be appointed or the language will be taught online, the news agency quoted the order as stating. The Maharashtra School Education Department issued the government resolution as part of implementing the 'State Curriculum Framework for School Education 2024', which aligns with the 2020 National Education Policy, PTI reported. While Hindi is not mandatory, Marathi will remain a compulsory language in all medium schools, according to the resolution. On April 16, the Maharashtra government had announced plans to implement the 2020 National Education Policy from the academic year 2025-'26. This made Hindi compulsory as the third language for students of Class 1 to Class 5 in Marathi and English medium schools, replacing their existing two-language structure with the three-language formula. On April 20, a language consultation committee appointed by the Maharashtra government opposed the decision to make Hindi a mandatory third language in primary schools. On April 22, the government stayed its April 16 order. The new directives said that while the three-language policy would still take effect, students would no longer be required to study Hindi as their third language. The three-language formula refers to teaching students English, Hindi and the native language of a state. It was introduced in the first National Education Policy in 1968 and was retained in the new policy introduced in 2020. Backlash to new order The government resolution passed on Tuesday received backlash from Marathi language advocates who accused the government of reintroducing the policy through the ' backdoor ' after initially backtracking, PTI reported. Vasant Kalpande, the former chairman of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, told PTI that it is unlikely to find 20 students in a class opting for a non-Hindi language. 'The provision to make teacher available online is also an attempt to discourage opting for any other language than Hindi,' the news agency quoted him as saying. Hindi as a third language is not mandatory in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Gujarat and Assam, Kalpande added. Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal accused Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of 'stabbing' the Marathi people, stating that the fresh government order on the three-language formula was a planned plot to impose Hindi.
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
3 million tiny tots get a new curriculum
MUMBAI: The state government has taken a significant step to bridge the existing gap between education imparted to children between the ages of 3 and 6 at the 1.1 lakh anganwadi centres across the state and that in primary schools, by approving a new curriculum for these children. This is the first time the state has introduced a uniform academic framework for anganwadis, aligning it with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which will benefit over 30 lakh students. The curriculum, designed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), will be rolled out from the 2025-26 academic year. The School Education and Women and Child Development (WCD) departments have jointly approved the plan, with a formal government resolution (GR) issued by principal secretary Ranjitsinh Deol, on Monday. The GR also stated that the anganwadis will be geotagged, in line with regular schools. The curriculum, which is categorised under three levels -- Foundation Level Kindergarten 1, 2, and 3 – has been developed aligned with the foundational stage curriculum of the WCD ministry and NEP. Before it is implemented, anganwadi workers will get short-term training sessions, beginning June. This will be followed with a long-term diploma course. Anganwadi workers who have completed Class 12 will undergo a six-month certification course in early childhood care and education (ECCE), while those with a smaller span of formal education will be offered a one-year diploma. These programmes will be conducted both online or offline, and certificates awarded upon completion. Welcoming the decision, Vasant Kalpande, former director of school education said, 'The new curriculum's framework ensures that all pre-primary students enter Class 1 with similar learning levels. This will make it easier for them to understand the syllabus together, without anyone lagging behind.' 'The goal is to strengthen foundational learning and ensure consistent early education outcomes across rural, tribal and urban areas,' said Kailash Pagare, director of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). 'We've already trained 37,000 anganwadi sevikas in collaboration with SCERT. Training for the rest will be completed by the end of July.' The critique While Pagare noted that many sevikas have responded positively to the curriculum and see it as an opportunity to enhance learning outcomes, there are others who do not share his optimism. Speaking on behalf of grassroots workers, Shubha Shamim, president for the Anganwadi Karmachari Sanghatana, said: 'We already have our own structured system rooted in practical learning. The state's desire to put textbooks in the hands of children goes against the global 'no-bag' model for early learners.' She also pointed out the absence of clarity about the 'additional compensation or the status of anganwadis as government employees as a consequence of their increased responsibilities'. 'Anganwadis are being treated like extensions of the education department without adequate support,' she added. Another point of concern is the scope of the policy. While it covers government-run anganwadis and pre-primary schools under the ICDS, it remains unclear whether it applies to private nurseries, playgroups, and early education centres that serve a large section of Maharashtra's urban population. While welcoming the move, Swati Popat-Vats, president, Early Childhood Association and Association for Preparatory Education and Research (ECA-APER), pointed to important gaps. 'Any step to uplift the quality of foundational years is a step in the right direction. However, there needs to be alignment on the age of entry. If the policy defines Grade 1 entry at six years, the government must adjust nursery entry to three years accordingly,' she said. 'Also, a six-month training course may not be enough. A one-year programme should be the minimum qualification for ECCE teachers.' She urged the government to give autonomy to educators to adapt the curriculum based on the specific needs of their students. 'Clear communication is needed on whether this applies to private institutions as well. Such ambiguity could create confusion during implementation,' she said.
Indian Express
14-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Maharashtra board exams: with 153 of 211 perfect 100 scorers, here's why Latur and Sambhajinagar produce so many toppers
With 113 students scoring a perfect 100 percent in Latur and another 40 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, the two districts together accounted for over 72 per cent of the 211 students that scored a perfect 100 per cent in the Maharashtra State Board's Class 10 exams this year. The results were declared on Tuesday. The twin districts that cover the entire Marathwada region have consistently churned out the most number of students with the perfect score in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations over the last five years. The credit, according to educators, goes to the famous 'Latur Pattern', which refers to the specific method they use to prepare for the board exams. Developed during the late 1980s, the Latur Pattern involves the continuous and mechanical practice of solving model question papers for months before the exams. This led to the rise of a coaching industry in Latur district which certainly helped the neighbouring districts of Nanded and Dharashiv (formerly known as Osmanabad) which are covered under the Latur division of the Maharashtra State Board. Experts believe that this neighbourhood impact witnessed a larger spread as similar study patterns were seen being replicated in the adjacent division of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar which also covers Beed, Parbhani, Jalna and Hingoli districts – thereby capturing the entire Marathwada region. Out of the total nine divisions under the Maharashtra State Board, these two divisions have together given rise to more than 70 per cent of the students who bagged full scores every year, except in 2021 when there was an exponential rise in the number of students who scored 100 per cent amid the pandemic. Vasant Kalpande, an education expert from Maharashtra, said, 'Schools in Latur conclude the academic session for Class 9 in December, way before it is supposed to end in March-April. The idea is to ensure an early start for Class 10 preparations so that the syllabus can be covered well in advance, and maximum time is spent on solving model question papers. The aim here is to prepare students with a strategy for what to write and how to write it so that they are able to score maximum marks.' Kalpande noted that many have argued in the past that this type of learning is not very favourable to advanced learning, 'especially for those who are extraordinarily talented, but they are brought to the same level as average scholars. But this system has shown great results in Maharashtra State Board exams where question papers are set to know more about what the students remember and not to test application-based knowledge or skills,' he said. Teachers pointed out that besides schools, even coaching classes in Latur focus on intensive training for students under the Latur Pattern. Kalpande recalled how students from Pune, Nashik too would go to Latur in olden days for this type of preparation, especially for competitive exams. Shrinivas More, a senior teacher at Rajarshi Shahu College, where the Latur Pattern is believed to have originated, said, 'Though it emerged in the 1980s, it continues to evolve with changing times. It changed the culture of this district where households too are very sincere about board exams. Schools and coaching classes take parent meetings every 10-15 days to track the progress of their wards and provide required help.' More highlighted how teachers found ways to ensure that students scored maximum marks, and thus Maharashtra State Board's scheme to give additional marks for excellence in extracurricular activity is being used to its fullest in Latur. 'The state board gives marks for recognised excellence in various extra-curricular activities such as drawing, performing arts, sports etc. This led to an increasing number of coaching classes for these activities in Latur and surrounding areas. Students could continue with their hobby even during board exam years as those achievements are going to ensure additional marks.' The data from the past five years shows how Latur has always topped among all divisions of MSBSHSE when it comes to the number of students who have scored 100 per cent. Latur is always followed by the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division. A senior teacher at Maratha High School in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar puts things in perspective when he says that more than a replication of the Latur pattern, this is the impact of the competition in the Marathwada region to get admission to prestigious colleges for Class 11. He said, 'Rajarshi Shahu College in Latur is considered the most prestigious college to join for classes 11 and 12 as they prepare students for competitive exams along with Class 12 board exams. With so many high-scoring candidates in Latur, the cut-off here closes at 98 or 99 per cent. This high cut-off score for Class 11 admissions is the same across other colleges. This competition motivates others from the Marathwada region to score well in Class 10, which means replication of the Latur Pattern of studying is inevitable in neighbouring districts.' Number of students with 100% score in Maharashtra SSC in recent years:
