Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. (File)Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the Maharashtra government would take steps to ensure the compulsory teaching of the Marathi language as a subject in schools of all boards, including CBSE and ICSE.
At the moment, there is a government order that schools should teach Marathi language as a subject up to Class 8, and as an optional subject in Classes 9 and 10. Fadnavis said the order was not being implemented by central board schools.
“As per my information, Marathi language teaching is compulsory. But, it has come to my notice that some schools, specially CBSE and ICSE, are not following it. So, we will certainly amend the law that will have stricter provisions. Learning Marathi will remain compulsory for everyone in the state. For that, the schools of all the boards will have to teach it. We will make all necessary changes in the law,” said Fadnavis in the Legislative Council.
He was responding to the issue raised through point of propriety by Shiv Sena legislator Neelam Gorhe in the Legislative Council. Gorhe claimed that in the southern states, teaching the state language was compulsory for all boards. “Similar rules should be made in state for Marathi for the all boards,” Gorhe said.
She further said that Laxmikant Deshmukh, former chairman of the Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, is going to hold a protest on Monday on the issue. “I will personally meet the delegation along with Marathi Language Minister Vinod Tawde. All their appropriate demands will be fulfilled in a time-bound manner,” said Fadnavis.
Officials from the school education department said that all the schools of central boards are required to teach Marathi language as a subject up to Class 8. “For Class 9 and 10, Marathi language is an optional subject,” said an official.
Another official said that the government has issued a circular asking schools to teach Marathi as a subject.
“It is just a circular but there is no law making the Marathi language as a mandatory subject. It could be one of the reasons for the schools of central boards not following it,” said the official.
