Maharashtra School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse has announced that all schools in the state, including those under ICSE, CBSE, Cambridge, and other education boards, must compulsorily teach the Marathi language and also include the singing of state song during school activities, an official statement said on Thursday.
Bhuse held a joint meeting held at the Mantralaya with coordinators, principals, and officials from all education boards in the state and told them about the decision.
The statement said that senior education officials including Principal Secretary Ranjit Singh Deol, Education Commissioner Sachindra Pratap Singh, SCERT Director Rahul Rekhawar, and others were present, along with heads of CBSE, ICSE, and International Board schools.
“Marathi must appear as a subject on the Class 10 mark sheet even in CBSE, ICSE, and Cambridge board schools,” Bhuse said.
He added that the government will communicate formally with these boards to implement the change.
He also proposed that ICSE textbooks should include lessons on the life and work of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, just like the state board does, the statement further said.
It said that the minister suggested that international boards include Maharashtra’s history in their humanities subjects and that schools focus on inclusive education, especially for divyang (differently-abled) students and those with low learning levels.
He directed schools to install CCTV cameras, strictly follow the Right to Education Act, and properly implement all government schemes and programmes.
Bhuse urged schools to promote patriotism, recommending that students be taught to keep the nation first. He also called for the effective rollout of the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ (One Tree in Mother`s Name) campaign.
Furthermore, he asked well-equipped schools from other boards to provide guidance and support to Marathi-medium schools.
During the meeting, principals and coordinators shared updates on the teaching methods, evaluation systems, and innovative practices followed in their schools.
