Schools confused over new policy’s Marathi mandate

Mumbai: The state cultural policy, 2024, has mandated compulsory teaching of Marathi in all schools for a minimum of four years, causing confusion among non-state board schools that have been teaching the language until Class 8 and grading students at school level. This follows a recent directive from the school education department, which required all schools and junior colleges in the state to make Marathi teaching compulsory up to Class 12.
The tourism and cultural affairs department approved the cultural policy on Monday.A committee chaired by cultural affairs minister Sudhir Mungantiwar was established in 2022 to develop a plan for promoting Marathi language. It recommended requiring students to learn the language for at least four years.
In 2020-21, Marathi became a compulsory subject following implementation of the Maharashtra Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Marathi Language in Schools Act which made it mandatory for schools to teach it till Class 12. While state board schools have been teaching the language as a compulsory subject until Class 10, international boards like Cambridge University and International Baccalaureate began teaching the language in 2020. Central boards such as CBSE and CISCE have also been teaching the language in schools as a graded (not marked) subject until Class 8.
Principals voiced concerns over lack of clarity on teaching of Marathi. "If a student has to learn Marathi for four years, almost all schools are teaching it. The problem is to have students take it in Class 10 and 12," said the principal of an IB school. Non-state board schools have been using the state's Balbharati textbooks. "Learning a local language is not the issue as long as schools are allowed to grade," the principal added.
Following the Sept 14 GR which reitrated Marathi be taught as per the 2020 Act, several CISCE schools have started teaching Marathi in Class 9. "We start with Marathi in Class 1 and go up to Class 8. This year, we have asked Class 9 students to learn Marathi. The problem will arise if they have to take it in Class 10," said a principal of an ICSE school. International school heads have said students coming from other states and countries face difficulties with Marathi when they are admitted to schools here.They suggest exceptions be made especially for students admitted in higher classes and recommend textbooks with basic language for such students.