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Time of India

New draft drops 3rd language in state schools for Class 3-10

Pune: The curriculum for Class 3 to 10 in state govt schools in Maharashtra, announced by the State Council for Education Research and Training (SCERT) on Sunday, eliminated the third language from the new draft for 2025. This means state govt schools will continue to teach two languages until the Narendra Jadhav committee decides the future of the third language in classrooms. Tamil Nadu is the only state which has a two-language policy in its schools. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai " The third language will be included in the curriculum only after the final recommendations of the committee and a subsequent decision by govt," SCERT director Rahul Rekhawar said. He said that until a formal decision is made, the current curriculum system will continue. "At present, only the first and second language syllabi have been prepared. The third language syllabus will follow once the curriculum is finalised." The exclusion of the third language comes after months of heated public debate, especially around the imposition of Hindi, in Marathi and English medium schools. Education activists demanded that schools be given the autonomy in choosing the third language based on local and cultural relevance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Struggling With Belly Fat? Try This at Home Home Fitness Hack Shop Now Undo The new curriculum, designed in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, includes 20 subjects. The revised syllabus introduces environmental education, Indian knowledge systems, constitutional values, and entrepreneurship skills across different grades. Among the 20 subjects are Marathi, English, mathematics, science, history, geography, economics, political science, arts, vocational education, physical education, and foundational value education. The draft curriculum has now been uploaded on SCERT's website and feedback from stakeholders—teachers, parents, experts, and institutions—has been invited until Aug 27. SCERT has urged respondents to provide detailed suggestions, citing the subject, grade, original content, proposed changes, and the rationale behind them. However, the absence of a third language from the draft has once again drawn attention to the ongoing controversy around language inclusion in school education. In recent months, several parents' groups and regional political leaders voiced opposition to making Hindi compulsory in non-Hindi speaking states like Maharashtra. Mahendra Ganpule, former vice-president, state headmasters' association, said the new draft published on Sunday is similar to the one published earlier in line with SCF 2024. Other highlights of the draft include a dedicated vocational education curriculum starting from Class 6 and a redesigned environmental studies syllabus for Class 3 to 5, now titled 'The World Around Us'. The curriculum reflects NEP's broader goals, such as promoting sustainable development, social inclusion, and interdisciplinary learning.