The Maharashtra government on Thursday, September 1, 2020, formed an eight-member committee to implement the policy of compulsory Marathi education in schools across the state. The formation of the committee is to draft rules regarding the implementation of ‘The Maharashtra Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Marathi Language in Schools Act, 2020’, as per the state school education and sports department.

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 release. The 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, informed the department.

Earlier, in June, the department had announced the implementation of Marathi as a compulsory subject in all schools. The rule will be implemented in phases, involving two classes each year. 

The rule has been in effect in the state from the current academic year 2020-21 and 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.

Special focus will be given to 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, it added.

Besides, students studying in mediums other than Marathi, the learning and difficulty levels of the subject and 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, according to the notification.

Source: Hindustan Times

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