3-language policy across country, Maha can't opt out of it: CM
Pune: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the three-language policy, under which the state govt had earlier decided to make Hindi compulsory in all schools, was part of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 being implemented across the country and Maharashtra cannot opt out of it.
He said govt has now withdrawn the Hindi compulsion, and students would be allowed to choose any Indian language — not just Hindi — as their third language. A government resolution to this effect was issued on Tuesday.
"If students want to learn another language, govt will ensure that a dedicated teacher is appointed. If the numbers are few, we will facilitate online classes," Fadnavis told reporters in Chikhali in Pimpri Chinchwad.
On MNS chief Raj Thackeray's criticism of the new GR, Fadnavis said he has personally explained the situation to him, reiterating that the three-language system stems from NEP formed after three years of expert consultations and feedback.
Fadnavis, in response to the language preference debate, said, "I fail to understand why we promote English and hesitate to embrace our own languages. Indian languages are far better than English."
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He said that Tamil Nadu approached the court against the three-language system, but their plea was rejected.
"Our Government Resolution (GR) clearly mentioned that Marathi is compulsory for all schools, and there are no alternatives to it, but there are alternatives to Hindi," he said.
Fadnavis said that it was because of New Education Policy that students can now pursue engineering, MBBS, or MBA in Marathi.
"NEP opened the way to make Marathi a global language for knowledge and economy, hence Maharashtra adopted it.
It is not right to make it a controversy. There is nothing wrong in learning three languages as it will only increase the knowledge of children," he added.
Strict Action If Schools Don't Implement Marathi: Bhuse
At a press conference in Mumbai, education minister Dada Bhuse said that the three-language policy is already being followed in schools of other mediums, but was not yet implemented in Marathi medium schools.
He said that Hindi has been taught from Std V for many years as a subject, and now, under the new policy, the three-language system will begin from Std I.
While Hindi is widely spoken in society, the final choice of choosing a third language will rest with students and their parents, he added.
Bhuse said, "The central government will allot marks for the third language, and we don't want our students to fall behind in the race."
Like Fadnavis, the minister said that govt will make arrangements depending on the demand.
If more than 20 students opt for an Indian language, a dedicated teacher will be appointed. If there are fewer students, online classes will be arranged, he added.
The minister added, "Marathi has been made compulsory for schools of all mediums across Maharashtra. Any school that fails to implement Marathi in its curriculum will face action.
If violations continue despite warnings and action, we may consider revoking the school's operating permissions."
Pune: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the three-language policy, under which the state govt had earlier decided to make Hindi compulsory in all schools, was part of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 being implemented across the country and Maharashtra cannot opt out of it.
He said govt has now withdrawn the Hindi compulsion, and students would be allowed to choose any Indian language — not just Hindi — as their third language.
A government resolution to this effect was issued on Tuesday.
"If students want to learn another language, govt will ensure that a dedicated teacher is appointed. If the numbers are few, we will facilitate online classes," Fadnavis told reporters in Chikhali in Pimpri Chinchwad.
On MNS chief Raj Thackeray's criticism of the new GR, Fadnavis said he has personally explained the situation to him, reiterating that the three-language system stems from NEP formed after three years of expert consultations and feedback.
Fadnavis, in response to the language preference debate, said, "I fail to understand why we promote English and hesitate to embrace our own languages. Indian languages are far better than English."
He said that Tamil Nadu approached the court against the three-language system, but their plea was rejected.
"Our Government Resolution (GR) clearly mentioned that Marathi is compulsory for all schools, and there are no alternatives to it, but there are alternatives to Hindi," he said.
Fadnavis said that it was because of New Education Policy that students can now pursue engineering, MBBS, or MBA in Marathi.
"NEP opened the way to make Marathi a global language for knowledge and economy, hence Maharashtra adopted it. It is not right to make it a controversy. There is nothing wrong in learning three languages as it will only increase the knowledge of children," he added.
Strict Action If Schools Don't Implement Marathi: Bhuse
At a press conference in Mumbai, education minister Dada Bhuse said that the three-language policy is already being followed in schools of other mediums, but was not yet implemented in Marathi medium schools.
He said that Hindi has been taught from Std V for many years as a subject, and now, under the new policy, the three-language system will begin from Std I.
While Hindi is widely spoken in society, the final choice of choosing a third language will rest with students and their parents, he added.
Bhuse said, "The central government will allot marks for the third language, and we don't want our students to fall behind in the race."
Like Fadnavis, the minister said that govt will make arrangements depending on the demand.
If more than 20 students opt for an Indian language, a dedicated teacher will be appointed. If there are fewer students, online classes will be arranged, he added.
The minister added, "Marathi has been made compulsory for schools of all mediums across Maharashtra. Any school that fails to implement Marathi in its curriculum will face action. If violations continue despite warnings and action, we may consider revoking the school's operating permissions."
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