Hindi to be mandatory as third language in Marathi, English medium schools in Maharashtra
The Maharashtra government on Wednesday announced a plan to implement the National Education Policy 2020 from the academic year 2025-’26, reported The Indian Express.
The plan makes it compulsory for students in Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English medium schools to learn Hindi as a third language. The policy’s three-language formula will replace the prevailing two-language structure in these schools.
Schools that teach in languages other than English and Marathi already follow the three-language formula, as they are required to offer English, Marathi and their medium of instruction.
A resolution issued by the school education department outlines the rollout of the “5+3+3+4” structure recommended under the National Education Policy.
This structure divides school education into four stages:
- Stage 1 (Foundation): Three years of pre-primary education, followed by Classes 1 and 2.
- Stage 2 (Preparatory): Classes 3 to 5.
- Stage 3 (Middle): Classes 6 to 8.
- Stage 4 (Secondary): Classes 9 to 12.
The education department’s Deputy Secretary Tushar Mahajan said in a notice: “This new policy restructures the previous 10+2+3 system into a 5+3+3+4 format, covering education from foundational to higher levels. The policy is being gradually implemented in the state. It is built on five pillars: Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability, and aligns with the [United Nations’] Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030.”
The phased implementation will begin with Class 1...
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