Will enforce compulsory Marathi rule strictly: Govt
Education minister Rajendra Darda has admitted that a rule, which made Marathi compulsory for students of Class 1 to Class 4 in all schools, has largely remained on paper.
Education minister Rajendra Darda has admitted that a rule, which made Marathi compulsory for students of Class 1 to Class 4 in all schools, has largely remained on paper.
Darda made the admission on Monday, after legislator Kapil Patil urged the government to take steps to improve usage of Marathi language in schools. "It is seen that Marathi, as a language, is making an exit from other language schools. This should not happen. The government needs to intervene," Patil said.
The May 2009 rule is applicable even to schools that follow the ICSE and CBSE boards.
"We have paid a lot of attention to improving the grade of Marathi across schools, and students should know the language. Marathi should be taught across mediums and boards and we will make sure it is implemented strictly," Darda told the legislative council.
Darda also said that the state would follow the high court order, which upheld a 25% quota for the poor in private schools as a requirement for implementing the Right To Education Act.
"We are in the process of devising the mechanism for implementation, defining the quota and making a foolproof process, which will not create hurdles for students in the future," the minister said.