Languages may take a beating with new state board policy
Most students may opt for vocational subjects over 3 languages
MUMBAI: From the next academic year, Classes 9 and 10 students can opt for vocational subjects instead of struggling with Hindi, Marathi and other languages.
But, teachers are worried that the state school education and sports department’s new policy to promote vocational education in schools from an early level would leave few takers for languages.
The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education had been following the ‘three mandatory languages’ rule for many years.
As per the rule, students have to study three languages. For English-medium students, first comes English, the second language is Hindi or Sanskrit and the third, Marathi.
The government resolution (GR) issued on August 22 has given students an option to skip either the second or third language and choose a vocational subject.
Language teachers and school principals have objected to this. “If students are given a choice between studying a language or a vocational subject, a majority of them would opt for the latter,” said Rajesh Pandya, a member of the Hindi Samiti and Hindi teacher at Fatimadevi English High School, Malad. “Languages will not flourish if students are not encouraged to study them.”
Meenakshi Walke, principal of Indian Education Society’s VN Sule School, Dadar, said not studying languages in Classes 9 and 10 would have a negative effect on students’ language skills, even if they have studied them till Class 8.
“But not opting for a language would spoil whatever little they know,” she said.
She added that before making languages optional, the school education department should revamp Hindi and Marathi syllabus till Class 8. “The syllabus up to Class 8 is weak,” she said.
On the other hand, some school principals and parents said the government’s decision would encourage more students to opt for the state board curriculum.
“Many students, especially non-marathi speakers, prefer to study in non-state boards, as they do not have the three compulsory languages,” said Father Jude Fernandes, principal of St Stanislaus School, Bandra.
Bindu Corriea, a parent whose son Kris is studying in Class 7 in St Stanislaus, said students face a lot of pressure in studying languages. “My son has a hard time studying Marathi and I am not fluent in Marathi,” she said. “So if my son has a doubt, I have to search English-marathi dictionaries and rely on the Internet to help him out.”
Corriea added that when her son reaches Class 9, she would think of opting for vocational subject. “Students will be able to make careers in that field,” she said.
Some said vocational subjects will also help academically weak students. “Those taking up vocational subjects will also get easy admission to Industrial Training Institutes (ITIS),” said Anil Bornare, a teacher from Swami Muktananda School, Chembur.