MUMBAI: The Language Advisory Committee in Maharashtra on Sunday publicly opposed the introduction of Hindi as a third language alongside Marathi and English for students in Class I to V in state schools, putting the state govt on the defensive.
Maharashtra is the second major state after Tamil Nadu where introducing a compulsory third language in primary school is leading to a blowback. The committee, in a letter to the chief minister, said the move was neither academically justified nor "in tune with students' psychology".
On April 16, a directive from the state announced implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) in Maharashtra - and with it, the clause that Hindi would be taught as third language from Grade 1. It resulted in a clamour on social media with criticism led by opposition parties.
On Sunday, CM Devendra Fadnavis said he had not read the panel's letter but clarified that Hindi was not replacing Marathi. "Marathi is mandatory. But under NEP, it is mandatory to learn three languages, of which two need to be Indian languages. So when the language panel headed by the minister submitted their report, they opted for Hindi as we have the required strength of faculty to teach Hindi."
But, he clarified, if some schools want to teach another Indian language in place of Hindi and if there are at least 20 students opting for the same, a teacher can be provided; if not, teaching can probably take place online. And this could be especially considered for schools in areas bordering other states, he added.
However, the language committee has warned that the 3-language policy is "unscientific" and could place unnecessary pressure on young students. They suggested instead that a requirement for only two languages, including Marathi, be enforced until Class XII. The committee's letter said, "Ideally, SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) Pune should have consulted the committee before making such decisions. Our membership includes both professors and recognised experts in linguistics and language sciences."
Maharashtra is the second major state after Tamil Nadu where introducing a compulsory third language in primary school is leading to a blowback. The committee, in a letter to the chief minister, said the move was neither academically justified nor "in tune with students' psychology".
On April 16, a directive from the state announced implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) in Maharashtra - and with it, the clause that Hindi would be taught as third language from Grade 1. It resulted in a clamour on social media with criticism led by opposition parties.
On Sunday, CM Devendra Fadnavis said he had not read the panel's letter but clarified that Hindi was not replacing Marathi. "Marathi is mandatory. But under NEP, it is mandatory to learn three languages, of which two need to be Indian languages. So when the language panel headed by the minister submitted their report, they opted for Hindi as we have the required strength of faculty to teach Hindi."
But, he clarified, if some schools want to teach another Indian language in place of Hindi and if there are at least 20 students opting for the same, a teacher can be provided; if not, teaching can probably take place online. And this could be especially considered for schools in areas bordering other states, he added.
However, the language committee has warned that the 3-language policy is "unscientific" and could place unnecessary pressure on young students. They suggested instead that a requirement for only two languages, including Marathi, be enforced until Class XII. The committee's letter said, "Ideally, SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) Pune should have consulted the committee before making such decisions. Our membership includes both professors and recognised experts in linguistics and language sciences."
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