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Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Weeks before opening day, uncertainty over third language in Marathi-and English-medium schools in Maharashtra
The 2025-26 academic year is set to begin on June 16 in Maharashtra, but there is still no clarity on the implementation of the three-language formula in Class 1 of Marathi- and English-medium schools under the state board. Originally, a Government Resolution (GR) in April had declared the introduction of three languages in Marathi- and English-medium schools under the Maharashtra State Board and mandated Hindi as the third language. However, after a backlash, the state government rolled back the decision, making Hindi optional. While the state reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the three-language policy, it also promised a separate GR detailing alternative options to Hindi and curriculum guidelines, which is still awaited. While State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Director Rahul Rekhawar was unavailable for comment, an official from the state's school education department said that the three-language policy would still be implemented. 'SCERT is currently working on the curriculum for languages other than Hindi to be introduced as third language options,' the official said. However, until the detailed guidelines are issued, schools are uncertain about how to proceed, with just weeks left before the new academic year begins. 'Schools cannot decide the third language on their own. These guidelines have to come from the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) along with textbooks. These were ready for Hindi when the state declared it the mandatory third language in Marathi- and English medium-schools of the Maharashtra state board. But with Hindi now optional, we have no clarity on what other languages can be offered or how to teach them,' a senior language teacher from a Mumbai school explained. Class 1 will see the introduction of a new curriculum framework aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. One of the major changes announced was the addition of a third language in Class 1 of Marathi- and English-medium schools under the state board, where only two languages were taught until now. But in the absence of clear guidelines, the feasibility of launching the three-language system this year is uncertain. A principal from a school in Thane noted, 'Teacher training for the new curriculum has already begun, but it does not cover the third language component. This only adds to the confusion.' The former head of the Maharashtra School Principals' Association, Mahendra Ganpule, added, 'The original State Curriculum Framework for the foundational stage, which covers Class 1, did not include three languages. Thus, the subject plan and timetable guidelines do not include the third language for Class 1. The introduction of a third language was announced later via a GR with a Hindi mandate. But now that Hindi is made optional, we still don't know what the alternative language options will be.'
New Indian Express
26-04-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
School curriculum, textbooks to be revamped over next three years in Tamil Nadu
CHENNAI: School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Friday told the Assembly that curriculum and textbooks in schools will be revamped to equip students with essential skills and prepare them for the future. In the first phase, Rs 7 crore has been allocated for the initiative, he said while speaking on the demands for grants for the department. According to officials, the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) will form a committee to review the syllabus, with the revamp expected to be completed over the next three years. The last major revision took place between 2018 and 2020 to help students prepare for competitive exams such as NEET. At the time, new textbooks were introduced for classes 1, 6, 9, and 11 in 2018-19 and for the remaining classes in 2019-20. The syllabus was updated for classes 1 to 10 after seven years and for higher secondary after 12 years. The syllabus which was introduced also adopted the 'learning outcome approach' in order to prevent rote learning. 'A comprehensive revamp every five years is essential to incorporate changes across various fields in textbooks. While the syllabus is updated annually, a full review will ensure alignment with higher education requirements and address any gaps or impediments in the current syllabus,' a senior official said. The school education department will introduce artificial intelligence, coding, fundamentals of computer science and online tools as part of the syllabus for classes 6 to 9 from the next academic year. Poyyamozhi also announced a new initiative named THIRAN (Targeted Help for Improving Remediation and Academic Nurturing) at a cost of `19 crore to enhance proficiency in Tamil, English and maths among 13 lakh students enrolled in classes 6 to 8. The government is yet to take a decision on distribution of laptops. However, smart classrooms and hi-tech labs have been set up in all schools to serve the same purpose. The department is reviewing whether to appoint one physical education teacher for every 250 or 500 students. In July last, the department issued an order fixing one PET for every 700 students. Poyyamozhi also added that the books to be procured for libraries have been finalised and the distribution will begin soon. On mobile phone addiction among students, he said steps such as restricting social media for those under 14 years is a national-level policy decision.
Indian Express
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
As Hindi made optional, Maharashtra schools look to offer options such as Urdu and Gujarati as third language
After the Maharashtra government rolled back its decision to make Hindi mandatory as the third language in classes 1 to 5 across Marathi- and English-medium schools in the state, the schools are looking to offer options such as Gujarati and Urdu. However, the absence of clear guidelines from the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has sparked widespread confusion and concerns about a chaotic start to the academic year beginning June. The government issued an order on April 16 making Hindi the mandatory third language from classes 1 to 5, but later gave in to the pushback against the move. School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse on April 22 said after a Cabinet meeting, 'The word mandatory will be removed… The three-language formula remains, but schools must accommodate other language choices if a significant number of students in a class request it.' However, with no clear alternatives to Hindi provided by the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT), many fear that schools may impose Hindi as the default third language. Furthermore, with no freedom to decide what they should do and whether to offer options, concerns arise that some students may be left with only two languages, leading to inconsistency in school education, which contradicts the uniformity expected under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Some schools have already begun taking the initiative. In Mumbai, Anjuman Islam English Medium School plans to offer Urdu as a third language. The institution, which already runs Urdu-medium schools, has the necessary resources, including trained teachers and curriculum materials. Similarly, schools in Pune have begun collecting nursery rhymes and basic learning materials in Gujarati and Bengali to meet the demand from parents of students. However, the larger problem lies in the government's lack of clarity on whether schools will have that liberty. Nazma Kazi, trustee of Anjuman Islam Educational Institutions, emphasised the need for communication from the government. 'Even if the SCERT needs time to prepare the content, the state must officially allow schools to decide their third language for now, along with a clear timeline for when structured support will be provided,' she said. Jagruti Dharmadhikari, director of Padma Education Society, which runs several schools and is also the president of the Independent English Medium School Managements' Association, said, 'While the decision to make Hindi optional is welcome, it has brought more confusion than clarity.' Dharmadhikari noted that with basic AI tools, schools run by the society have managed to generate translated content, such as nursery rhymes, in Gujarati and Bengali, which can easily be verified by teachers fluent in those languages. 'If we can do this, SCERT certainly can with the available resources of subject experts. It is a question of willingness. The government says the third language should be taught only at a conversational level. Then why the delay in giving out the curriculum structure for other languages?' she asked. Teachers have also pointed out that Maharashtra already has schools functioning in eight different mediums, suggesting that foundational-level content for various Indian languages is already available and can be adapted. School managements and educationists fear that, without concrete guidance, many institutions might default to teaching Hindi. Senior educationist Vasant Kalpande voiced strong concerns about the rushed rollout of the three-language formula without proper preparation. 'What is the point of introducing it when there is no clarity on options to Hindi, which could lead to some students left with only two languages to study, while others learn three,' he said. He questioned if the state plans to subtly impose Hindi as a third language, leaving room for confusion by delaying options. 'Most government schools are likely to follow suit out of fear. In other cases, leaving it up to the school to decide whether or not to teach Hindi as a third language will be chaotic, especially without adequate options. To avoid this chaos, the state should defer implementation of three languages to Class 1 until there is clarity on options,' he suggested. Adding to the concerns, senior educator Basanti Roy pointed out the logistical challenges of introducing a third language in under-resourced government schools, particularly in rural areas. 'Many zilla parishad (ZP)-run Marathi medium schools have only one teacher who is often unqualified to teach English, yet English is already mandatory as a second language. The reverse is also true in English medium schools, where teachers struggle with Marathi. The state never evaluated the effectiveness of implementing these two languages, and now it has introduced a third without addressing existing gaps,' she said.
Indian Express
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Idol teachers, school to be recognised by state, 3 levels of committees to be formed
To honour and encourage teachers who impart quality services with regards to their profession across the state, the Maharashtra School Education and Sports Department has decided to recognise 'idol teachers and idol schools'. In addition, a bank of these idol schools will be created and idol teachers and schools will be involved in the state's education department. The concept of idol teachers and idol schools was introduced in a Government Resolution (GR) issued on Monday. Idol schools will be selected on the basis of activities conducted in schools, new learning methods, implementation of government goals and policies like the Mukhyamantri Majhi Shala Yojna, and beautification of schools. The teacher's conduct, daily attendance of students, scholarships, involvement in art, sports and culture as well as participation in higher education, will be some of the criteria for the selection of these schools and teachers. The GR also stated that the idol teachers and schools selected will be involved in work under the Education Department. Based on this work, the State Council for Educational Research and Training and other institutions will consider idol teachers as 'master trainers'. Plans to visit idol schools, involving teachers and other active members of these schools as teaching guides in municipal schools, and filming the work of idol teachers and schools should be done by the State Council for Educational Research and Training and District Education and Training Institutes in a routine manner, the resolution stated. This would also include publicising their work and holding group meetings of idol teachers and idol schools. Three levels of committees — at the taluka, district and state levels — will be formed for this. The taluka-level committee will consist of the group education officer, lecturer of the district education and training institute, an educationist, two centre heads, and an extension officer. The district-level committee will consist of the district collector, zila parishad chief executive officer, principal of the district education and training institute, primary and secondary education officers, two educationists, and a senior lecturer. The state-level committee will consist of the Education Commissioner as the head of the committee, the director of SCERT, deputy director, and joint director of the State Council of Educational Research and training institute, two educationists, and the directors of Primary and Secondary Education. Mahendra Ganpule, Former head of Maharashtra School Principals' Association told The Indian Express, 'It is a good initiative. Mukhyamantri Majhi Shala Yojna also was in place for two years and many schools got updated. The schools made efforts to better their physical infrastructure due to the competition. Everyone tries to show their ability when there is a competition.' However, he added that a lack of funding received by schools in the state was a major issue that also needed to be looked into. He said, 'If they get proper funding, only then will they be able to have much better equipment and compete better. The non-salary grant that schools get is the same since 2013. But expenditure has increased almost four times. New initiatives like CCTV cameras and e-learning websites also add to the cost and schools find it difficult to bear them.'
