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Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Maharashtra state board to have bridge course for students transitioning to new curriculum
As the Maharashtra State Board plans a complete shift to a new curriculum based on NCERT textbooks in a phased manner till 2029, students being taught the new curriculum for the first time will also undergo a bridge course. The corrected version of the withdrawn April 16 government resolution (GR) released on Monday reiterates that the bridge course will be developed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and will be used in all grades. The GR states, 'With the new curriculum being implemented for the first time, a bridge course for all grades should be prepared by the State Council of Educational Research and Training and used as necessary in all grades.' The state board has decided to formulate a new curriculum based on NCERT textbooks keeping in mind educational requirements of the state. This new curriculum will be prepared by the SCERT and introduced for Class 1 from this year (academic year 2025-26) onwards. In the next year (AY 2026-27), the new syllabus will be implemented for classes 2, 3, 4 and 6. Following that in AY 2027-28 the new syllabus will be introduced for classes 5, 7, 9, and 11. In the last year AY 2028-29, the new syllabus will be introduced for classes 8, 10, and 12. Mahendra Ganpule, former head of Maharashtra School Principals' Association, said, 'The objective of the bridge course is to help students cover any changes between the old curriculum and the new curriculum. To remove any backlog. The GR just notified that there will be such a course, no other details have been provided yet.' Ganpule also agrees that there is a gap between the current state board syllabus and the NCERT syllabus that would need to be bridged as the curriculum change is brought about. The GR also states that according to the New Education Policy 2020, the 10+2 structure of school education would be changed to a 5+3+3+4 structure in the state as well. The first stage will be the Foundational Stage consisting of three years of Balvatika and class 1 and 2. The next will be the Preparatory Stage consisting of classes 3 to 5. Following will be the Pre-Secondary stage consisting of classes 6 to 8 and the last stage will be the Secondary Stage consisting of classes 9 to 12. SCERT director Rahul Rekhawar, who is currently on an educational tour to Germany, did not respond to Whatsapp messages for comments on the bridge course. Soham is a Correspondent with the Indian Express in Pune. A journalism graduate, he was a fact-checker before joining the Express. Soham currently covers education and is also interested in civic issues, health, human rights, and politics. ... Read More
Time of India
03-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
State revises timetable for Std 1 & 2; Art & PE hrs restored
Mumbai: The Maharashtra state government has released a revised timetable for classes 1 and 2, dropping the controversial proposal to make Hindi mandatory. The new schedule mandates only Marathi and English as compulsory languages and introduces an 'Additional Enrichment Period' aimed at providing academic support through remedial teaching, skill development, or preparation for competitive exams. The move comes after backlash over the June 18 circular, prompting the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) to roll back many of its earlier changes. Art and Physical Education, which had seen their annual hours slashed to 81 and 40, respectively, in the earlier version, have now been restored to 122 and 61 hours. Additionally, class session durations have been aligned with National Curriculum Framework (NCF) norms, increased to 45–60 minutes from the previously proposed 35–45 minutes. Though the state has provided a model weekly timetable, schools retain flexibility in organising the daily order of subjects and start and end times. However, they are not permitted to reduce the total weekly or annual instructional hours. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The Additional Enrichment Period is not part of the standard timetable but serves as supplementary learning time. Another provision includes 10 designated bagless days annually for experiential learning and reducing academic pressure. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Glicemia acima de 130? Insira essa fruta no seu café da manhã G!Saú Undo However, concerns remain over the impact of extended school hours. Mahendra Ganpule, former head of the Maharashtra School Principals' Association, warned, "With schools operating in two shifts, children may end up leaving as late as 6:45pm. That's too late — especially with city traffic and rural safety concerns after sunset." The new timetable will be implemented for Std 1 from the academic year 2025–26. For Std 2, the rollout will be contingent on the printing of new textbooks.
Time of India
03-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
State revises timetable for Std 1 & 2; Hindi not mandatory
Mumbai: The Maharashtra state government has released a revised timetable for classes 1 and 2, dropping the controversial proposal to make Hindi mandatory. The new schedule mandates only Marathi and English as compulsory languages and introduces an 'Additional Enrichment Period' aimed at providing academic support through remedial teaching, skill development, or preparation for competitive exams. The move comes after backlash over the June 18 circular, prompting the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) to roll back many of its earlier changes. Art and Physical Education, which had seen their annual hours slashed to 81 and 40, respectively, in the earlier version, have now been restored to 122 and 61 hours. Additionally, class session durations have been aligned with National Curriculum Framework (NCF) norms, increased to 45–60 minutes from the previously proposed 35–45 minutes. Though the state has provided a model weekly timetable, schools retain flexibility in organising the daily order of subjects and start and end times. However, they are not permitted to reduce the total weekly or annual instructional hours. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The Additional Enrichment Period is not part of the standard timetable but serves as supplementary learning time. Another provision includes 10 designated bagless days annually for experiential learning and reducing academic pressure. However, concerns remain over the impact of extended school hours. Mahendra Ganpule, former head of the Maharashtra School Principals' Association, warned, "With schools operating in two shifts, children may end up leaving as late as 6:45pm. That's too late — especially with city traffic and rural safety concerns after sunset." The new timetable will be implemented for Std 1 from the academic year 2025–26. For Std 2, the rollout will be contingent on the printing of new textbooks.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
After GRs cancellation, teachers wonder what to do with Hindi hours in timetable
Pune: Confusion prevails in state board-affiliated schools after the state govt cancelled both earlier notifications on the introduction of Hindi as a third language in the primary section. The timetable announced on June 18 by State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) is now invalid for the Hindi period. Teachers said they started the academic year two weeks ago, and now need to adjust the timetable again and wait for instructions on how to handle the periods set aside for Hindi. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Educators said this constant back-and-forth was disrupting learning and creating unnecessary stress for teachers, students, and parents. Mahendra Ganpule, former vice-president of State Headmasters' Association, said, "Now that govt has cancelled both GRs, the older timetable in the State Curriculum Framework at the foundational level will have to be used." SCERT announced the revised timetable mid-June for SSC-board affiliated schools to follow throughout the year which adjusted teaching hours across subjects to accommodate the third language from Std I onwards. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 3BHK Transformation Possible for ₹4.5 Lakh? HomeLane Get Quote Undo Educator Vishwas Mandhare said that SCERT allocated teaching hours for the third language by reducing teaching time for art education, physical training, and work experience. "The revised schedule should go back to the older one where creative and extra-curricular time for students is not cut down," he added. The council, for the first time, provided a sample timetable to help schools plan their academic day. While the sample is not mandatory, the subject-wise allocation of teaching hours must be followed. Unlike NCF's recommendation of 45- to 50-minute periods, the state govt opted for 35-minute sessions. Two consecutive periods may be combined for extended time for certain subjects. Education experts said constant reshuffling was detrimental. ZP teacher Kishore Bhagwat said, "The academic planning for Std I to V is disturbed. Schools are unsure how to guide students and parents, and teachers have to rearrange lessons at the last minute, adding to stress and the workload." A senior SCERT official said experts were revising the timetable. "We will wait for a new govt notification about cancellation of the two GRs. We will then issue the revised timetable." Pune: Confusion prevails in state board-affiliated schools after the state govt cancelled both earlier notifications on the introduction of Hindi as a third language in the primary section. The timetable announced on June 18 by State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) is now invalid for the Hindi period. Teachers said they started the academic year two weeks ago, and now need to adjust the timetable again and wait for instructions on how to handle the periods set aside for Hindi. Educators said this constant back-and-forth was disrupting learning and creating unnecessary stress for teachers, students, and parents. Mahendra Ganpule, former vice-president of State Headmasters' Association, said, "Now that govt has cancelled both GRs, the older timetable in the State Curriculum Framework at the foundational level will have to be used." SCERT announced the revised timetable mid-June for SSC-board affiliated schools to follow throughout the year which adjusted teaching hours across subjects to accommodate the third language from Std I onwards. Educator Vishwas Mandhare said that SCERT allocated teaching hours for the third language by reducing teaching time for art education, physical training, and work experience. "The revised schedule should go back to the older one where creative and extra-curricular time for students is not cut down," he added. The council, for the first time, provided a sample timetable to help schools plan their academic day. While the sample is not mandatory, the subject-wise allocation of teaching hours must be followed. Unlike NCF's recommendation of 45- to 50-minute periods, the state govt opted for 35-minute sessions. Two consecutive periods may be combined for extended time for certain subjects. Education experts said constant reshuffling was detrimental. ZP teacher Kishore Bhagwat said, "The academic planning for Std I to V is disturbed. Schools are unsure how to guide students and parents, and teachers have to rearrange lessons at the last minute, adding to stress and the workload." A senior SCERT official said experts were revising the timetable. "We will wait for a new govt notification about cancellation of the two GRs. We will then issue the revised timetable."
Hindustan Times
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Admissions delayed for over 2.5 million students in state
MUMBAI: Software glitches and procedural delays have hit 2.5 million students in Maharashtra, seeking admission to first year junior college (FYJC) and to professional courses, including engineering and medicine. If these issues are not sorted out in a few days, the students risk a delayed start to the 2025-26 academic year. Admissions delayed for over 2.5 million students in state Confusion over FYJC admissions persists, with a fourth possible delay in the announcement of the merit list. The directorate of education, which was to release the first merit list on June 6, rescheduled its release to June 10. Then it further rescheduled the date to June 26. These unprecedented delays are impacting 1.3 million students, whose Class 10 results were announced more than a month ago. However, sources in the department say that students will be lucky if the department sticks to this timeline as it is still struggling with software issues. Mahesh Palkar, director of secondary education, said on Wednesday, 'We are making changes in the software and conducting testing on a war footing. We are trying to release the first merit list on June 26 but if that's not be possible, we will come out with a fresh schedule on Thursday.' The FYJC admission process was first delayed due to a suit filed my minority institutions over SC/ST/OBC reservations announced by the government for the 50% seats outside the institutions' 50% minority quota. The Supreme Court eventually set aside the reservation, paving the way for the much-delayed FJYC admissions to get off the ground. However, now there's a technical snag. An education officer claimed, 'After the court set aside the social reservations in minority colleges, we had to make changes in the software for the online admission process. This will take at least five to six more days.' College principals say it's just an excuse for a department unprepared to implement online admissions. Until last year, FYJC admissions were conducted online for colleges only in the Mumbai Metropolitan region (MMR), Pune and Nashik. This year, however, the education department has rolled out the admission process online across the state. Mahendra Ganpule, former spokesperson of the Maharashtra State Principals Association, remarked, 'They are trying to push this online admission process statewide without proper dry runs or planning. The result is confusion everywhere and students are paying the price.' Meanwhile, although the Class 12 results were announced more than a month ago, admissions to professional undergraduate degree courses across Maharashtra have not moved forward. This delay – unprecedented for these courses – is impacting 1.2 million students seeking admission to courses such as engineering, pharmacy, agriculture, law, management, BBA and BMS, polytechnic and Industrial Training Institutes programmes. The Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell conducted more than 18 entrance tests for professional courses between March and April, and announced the results in May and June. However, the cell is yet to start the Centralised Admission Process (CAP), even as June draws to a close. Sources said the delay relates to policy and procedural changes, which are yet to be sorted out. As a result, a timeline for application, merit lists, or admission rounds has not been announced. For MBBS admissions, for instance, the approval process for new colleges will be underway till July 31, pausing admissions to undergraduate medical courses. The situation is especially serious because July and August are typically reserved to complete four rounds of admissions. If the process doesn't begin soon, the start of the academic year may be postponed to August or even September. 'There seems to be no coordination between the CET Cell, the Directorate of Technical Education, and the Higher and Technical Education Department,' said a college principal. 'Each department is working in isolation, and students are suffering due to this.' He said any further delay in classes would impact exams, which would have a cascading effect on internships, placements, and further education plans for students.
