Latest news with #Marathi-medium
Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
Freezed since 2012, teacher hiring must restart: Former ZP member
Nagpur: As almost 70 teachers from Nagpur's Zilla Parishad (ZP) schools retired last week, it was a grim reminder for the local body education system where teacher hiring has been stopped since 2012. Each year, the retirees keep moving out, but no fresh full-time staff is being hired, say former officials. In the interim, excess teachers were shuffled across schools to fill gaps. Sharad Bhandarkar, former Kendra Pramukh who oversaw a cluster of ZP schools in Nagpur, said, "Slowly over the next decade or so, the full-time teacher strength would have dwindled drastically. The govt must restart hiring of teachers. Sixty-eight of them retired last week, and this trend continues." There are around 6,000 teachers in ZP schools, but these units face a problem of low enrolment. There are ZP schools where fewer than 20 students study, which then impacts the number of teachers who can be assigned to the school. This is because the state govt has a pupil-teacher ratio, popularly called PTR, and that dictates the hiring dynamics. Education office sources suggest that falling student enrolment — partly due to migration towards English-medium institutions — has also affected staff numbers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cervecería Nacional CFD: Calcula cuánto podrías ganar invirtiendo solo $100 Empieza a invertir Inscríbete ahora Undo But former ZP member, Avantika Lekurwale, who headed the Women and Child Welfare Committee, said students will flock to schools if quality education is provided. She said, "Many Marathi-medium schools in Nagpur are thriving because they offer strong learning outcomes. Quality of education in schools is the key to retaining students as already several schools have shifted to semi-English instruction, proving that medium is not the core concern. For the last 12 years, not a single teacher was hired, and we have almost 700 vacancies." To partially address this, the govt has begun hiring contract teachers, Lekurwale said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Govt panel opposes Hindi push, urges CM Fadnavis to scrap 3-language plan
With the opposition against the "imposition" of Hindi gaining momentum in Maharashtra, a government-appointed advisory committee has urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to roll back the decision to introduce the language in primary classes. The Language Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the government on matters related to the Marathi language, passed a resolution on Friday demanding that no third language, including Hindi, be taught before Class 5. The resolution was passed during a meeting held in Pune, attended by 20 out of 27 committee members. Kiran Kulkarni, secretary of the Marathi language department, was also present during the meeting. A language row has erupted in Maharashtra after the state government recently issued an amended order stating that Hindi will "generally" be taught as a third language to students from Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English medium schools. According to the order, if 20 students per grade in a school wish to study any other Indian language, they can opt out of Hindi. If such a demand arises, either a teacher will be appointed, or the language will be taught online. Speaking to reporters, the committee's chairman, Laxmikant Deshmukh, said that it was the first time a government-backed body has taken such a stand against a government decision. "We are not against Hindi or any other language, but imposing it in early schooling is neither educationally sound nor culturally appropriate. Language learning in the early years must focus on the mother tongue for strong foundational skills," he said. Deshmukh said the committee had previously flagged concerns after the government's decision to make Hindi a part of the primary school curriculum, but its objections were brushed aside. "The government attempted to bypass this by presenting misleading interpretations. We want the government resolution on this matter to be cancelled outright," he said. Committee members, including renowned language expert Prakash Parab and senior Marathi writer Shripad Bhalchandra Joshi, raised the issue during the meeting and received unanimous support. Joshi, a scholar and educationist, warned of consequences. "English was introduced as a compulsory subject for primary classes in Marathi-medium schools in 1999. It is worth noting that Marathi was made compulsory in English-medium schools seven years later, and as a result, children could not learn either language properly. Now, by adding Hindi or any other third language early on, children's linguistic abilities will only weaken," he said. He claimed the move was a systematic attempt to dilute Maharashtra's intellectual strength. The main functions of the committee are to advise the government on the development and preservation of the Marathi language, and this includes preparing new dictionaries, selecting standardised words, setting guidelines for the use of the language and determining policies, among other things. The committee's resolution also states that the idea of introducing a third language should only be considered after Class 5, and even then, it should remain optional. "As an advisory committee, we strongly recommend that the government avoid introducing a third language in primary schools," Deshmukh said. Doing so could negatively affect students' psychological development and undermine the cultural identity of the state, he said, adding that the committee has also decided to participate in the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS morcha on July 5.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Maharashtra language panel opposes early Hindi push, urges CM Devendra Fadnavis to roll it back
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads With the opposition against the "imposition" of Hindi gaining momentum in Maharashtra, a government-appointed advisory committee has urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to roll back the decision to introduce the language in primary Language Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the government on matters related to the Marathi language, passed a resolution on Friday demanding that no third language, including Hindi, be taught before Class resolution was passed during a meeting held in Pune, attended by 20 out of 27 committee members. Kiran Kulkarni, secretary of the Marathi language department, was also present during the meeting.A language row has erupted in Maharashtra after the state government recently issued an amended order stating that Hindi will "generally" be taught as a third language to students from Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English medium to the order, if 20 students per grade in a school wish to study any other Indian language, they can opt out of Hindi. If such a demand arises, either a teacher will be appointed, or the language will be taught to reporters, the committee's chairman, Laxmikant Deshmukh, said that it was the first time a government-backed body has taken such a stand against a government decision."We are not against Hindi or any other language, but imposing it in early schooling is neither educationally sound nor culturally appropriate. Language learning in the early years must focus on the mother tongue for strong foundational skills," he said the committee had previously flagged concerns after the government's decision to make Hindi a part of the primary school curriculum, but its objections were brushed aside."The government attempted to bypass this by presenting misleading interpretations. We want the government resolution on this matter to be cancelled outright," he members, including renowned language expert Prakash Parab and senior Marathi writer Shripad Bhalchandra Joshi, raised the issue during the meeting and received unanimous a scholar and educationist, warned of consequences."English was introduced as a compulsory subject for primary classes in Marathi-medium schools in 1999. It is worth noting that Marathi was made compulsory in English-medium schools seven years later, and as a result, children could not learn either language properly. Now, by adding Hindi or any other third language early on, children's linguistic abilities will only weaken," he claimed the move was a systematic attempt to dilute Maharashtra's intellectual main functions of the committee are to advise the government on the development and preservation of the Marathi language, and this includes preparing new dictionaries, selecting standardised words, setting guidelines for the use of the language and determining policies, among other committee's resolution also states that the idea of introducing a third language should only be considered after Class 5, and even then, it should remain optional."As an advisory committee, we strongly recommend that the government avoid introducing a third language in primary schools," Deshmukh so could negatively affect students' psychological development and undermine the cultural identity of the state, he said, adding that the committee has also decided to participate in the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS morcha on July 5.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Govt panel opposes three-language policy, asks CM to roll back decision on Hindi in primary classes
Mumbai, With the opposition against the "imposition" of Hindi gaining momentum in Maharashtra, a government-appointed advisory committee has urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to roll back the decision to introduce the language in primary classes. Govt panel opposes three-language policy, asks CM to roll back decision on Hindi in primary classes The Language Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the government on matters related to the Marathi language, passed a resolution on Friday demanding that no third language, including Hindi, be taught before Class 5. The resolution was passed during a meeting held in Pune, attended by 20 out of 27 committee members. Kiran Kulkarni, secretary of the Marathi language department, was also present during the meeting. A language row has erupted in Maharashtra after the state government recently issued an amended order stating that Hindi will "generally" be taught as a third language to students from Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English medium schools. According to the order, if 20 students per grade in a school wish to study any other Indian language, they can opt out of Hindi. If such a demand arises, either a teacher will be appointed, or the language will be taught online. Speaking to reporters, the committee's chairman, Laxmikant Deshmukh, said that it was the first time a government-backed body has taken such a stand against a government decision. "We are not against Hindi or any other language, but imposing it in early schooling is neither educationally sound nor culturally appropriate. Language learning in the early years must focus on the mother tongue for strong foundational skills," he said. Deshmukh said the committee had previously flagged concerns after the government's decision to make Hindi a part of the primary school curriculum, but its objections were brushed aside. "The government attempted to bypass this by presenting misleading interpretations. We want the government resolution on this matter to be cancelled outright," he said. Committee members, including renowned language expert Prakash Parab and senior Marathi writer Shripad Bhalchandra Joshi, raised the issue during the meeting and received unanimous support. Joshi, a scholar and educationist, warned of consequences. "English was introduced as a compulsory subject for primary classes in Marathi-medium schools in 1999. It is worth noting that Marathi was made compulsory in English-medium schools seven years later, and as a result, children could not learn either language properly. Now, by adding Hindi or any other third language early on, children's linguistic abilities will only weaken," he said. He claimed the move was a systematic attempt to dilute Maharashtra's intellectual strength. The main functions of the committee are to advise the government on the development and preservation of the Marathi language, and this includes preparing new dictionaries, selecting standardised words, setting guidelines for the use of the language and determining policies, among other things. The committee's resolution also states that the idea of introducing a third language should only be considered after Class 5, and even then, it should remain optional. "As an advisory committee, we strongly recommend that the government avoid introducing a third language in primary schools," Deshmukh said. Doing so could negatively affect students' psychological development and undermine the cultural identity of the state, he said, adding that the committee has also decided to participate in the Shiv Sena -MNS morcha on July 5. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
Almirahs as ‘walls', 2 shifts: In Mumbai school, Classes 1-8 students are in one hall since 2022
For the students of a civic body-run Marathi-medium school in Mumbai's Mankhurd, the biggest concern since 2022 has been the long walk home. Never mind that nearly 100 of them have been 'temporarily' crammed inside one big multipurpose hall — with steel almirahs serving as 'walls' instead of partitions — for almost three years now. A recent video shot by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Ravi Gawas inside the hall brought the issue to light. Under this makeshift arrangement, the students of Mankhurd Marathi-Medium School No 1 have been studying in shifts inside a 1,000-square-foot hall on the sixth floor of the Maharashtra Nagar BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) School, also in Mankhurd. While the morning shift comprises 87 students of Classes 6-8, around 100 students of Classes 1-5 study in the same space in the afternoon. Completed in 2020, the six-floor Maharashtra Nagar BMC School was built under the civic body's new brand name for its schools — Mumbai Public School (MPS). The English-medium school was completed in 2020. Its top-floor hall, originally designed for school functions and events, has been doubling as a makeshift school space since 2022. Mumbai Public Schools offer free education, along with 27 essential items, including uniforms, textbooks, shoes, raincoats, and a mid-day meal. Before moving to their new address, the students of the Marathi-medium school and those from four others — Marathi-medium school no 2, Hindi-medium, Urdu-medium and lower primary school — studied in the same BMC school building near Mankhurd railway station. Declared 'dilapidated', the building was demolished in 2022. Its reconstruction is yet to start. After the demolition, students from all five schools were moved to the Maharashtra Nagar School. While the Hindi-medium students were shifted to the Deonar BMC School, around 4 km away, a year later, four schools continue to function out of the Maharashtra Nagar School building. Three of these four schools have been allotted one floor each at their new address, giving them enough space to conduct separate classes. However, the Marathi-medium school, given its relatively low enrollment, has had to make do with the multipurpose hall, where even the stage serves as a 'separate' classroom. Despite attempts, The Indian Express was denied entry inside the school by the administration. As he exited the premises after the morning shift, a Class 6 student of the Marathi-medium school told The Indian Express, 'My class is near the main door of the hall. My class has three rows — two for boys and one for girls. A few cupboards separate us from Class 8. Students of Class 7 sit on the stage area.' To a question on whether their sixth-floor arrangements caused confusion or distractions during lessons, a group of students walking home after school paused, looked at each other and shrugged. 'Not really. Each class is focused on its own lessons,' said one. Another student chimed in, 'You can hear bits from the other classes, but if you're paying attention to your teacher, it's fine.' However, both parents and students had one complaint — the distance. The Maharashtra Nagar School is located nearly 3 km from their Mankhurd Gaon homes, while the now-demolished school was barely two minutes away for most. Though parents acknowledged this inconvenience, most were hesitant to speak out against the administration. One parent said, 'I am scared that my child will face the consequences at school if I say something. All of us feel that this temporary arrangement is better than opting for a private school, something that most of us cannot afford.' A parent who had come to drop off her child, a student of the primary school at the now-demolished building, said, 'My sister's children studied there (at the demolished school) and praised its teachers. That is why I got my child enrolled there. While the current situation is not ideal, we know it's temporary.' MNS leader Gawas, who shot the viral video, says he has submitted a formal complaint to the BMC's Education Department and the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. He said, 'Just because education is free, should children be crammed into a hall? What's the point of free education if there aren't enough classrooms?' Calling the delay in the reconstruction of their school building a 'violation' of their right to education, he added, 'The situation raises serious questions about the BMC's intent to rebuild these schools, especially since the old building was in a prime location.' Taking cognizance of the issue, the BMC's Education Department had sought a review report from local officers. The report states that 87 children attend classes in the morning session and around 100 children in the afternoon session in the same hall. Education Officer Rajesh Kankal said, 'The hall can accommodate 300 persons at a time, which means the students have not been crammed inside. The school also has an adequate number of teachers. It was supposed to get real partitions, which never happened. Wooden partitions to separate the classes will be provided on priority.' Calling this a 'temporary arrangement', he added, 'Another BMC school is almost ready for handover in the locality. Some of these schools will be relocated there soon, reducing the number of schools housed in the Maharashtra Nagar BMC school building.' To a question on the status of the original building at Mankhurd Gaon, he said it will have to be reviewed. 'The relocation of the school is a cyclic process since some buildings require heavy repair works or complete restructuring,' he said.
