21 hours ago
SCERT revamps Class 1 timetable; Hindi dropped
In a major policy reversal, the Maharashtra State School Education Department has dropped Hindi from the Class 1 curriculum, following widespread backlash against its inclusion as a compulsory third language. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has now released a revised timetable confirming that only Marathi and English will be mandatory for students in Classes 1 and 2. Amid rising protests, the government rolled back its earlier directive. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)
The earlier decision to introduce Hindi from Class 1 had drawn sharp criticism from educationists, language experts, activists, and political leaders, who argued that imposing a third language at such an early stage was detrimental to learning outcomes, especially in a multilingual state like Maharashtra.
Amid rising protests, the government rolled back its earlier directive. The revised SCERT timetable removes the Hindi language slot and reallocates that time to co-curricular and physical development subjects, such as Art, Sports, Work Education, and Physical Education. The new structure is intended to support holistic child development and ease academic pressure on young learners.
According to the revised schedule, the school day is divided into nine 35-minute sessions from Monday to Saturday, with scheduled breaks and activity periods to maintain engagement and focus. Core academic subjects, particularly Mathematics and Languages, are concentrated in the earlier part of the day, aligning with students' optimal attention spans.
Significantly, the plan also emphasises health and activity-based education, featuring dedicated time for Health & Physical Education, Art Education, and Work Education. The Adolescence Education Programme (AEP), focusing on awareness and life skills, has been retained.
In total, the weekly instructional time now stands at 990 minutes, distributed over 30 sessions. Saturdays will be used more flexibly, with a reduced academic load and greater emphasis on co-curricular activities to encourage creativity and physical activity.
