On Sunday, members of Marathi Abhyas Kendra, a Marathi cultural and language group, held a session in Dadar to voice concerns over the alleged razing of Marathi school buildings across Mumbai. The group has now called for a protest on Thursday, December 18, outside the BMC headquarters, followed by a march to Azad Maidan.
A session in Dadar on the issues Marathi school face
“We want to ensure that school land is used solely for rebuilding school structures and educational purposes. A letter detailing our demands will also be sent to the BMC commissioner,” said Dr Deepak Pawar, language activist and head of Marathi Abhyas Kendra. The group has also demanded that structural audit reports of schools be published on the civic body website in Marathi.
Speakers at the session highlighted factors affecting Marathi school enrolment, pointing out seven schools across Mahim, Lower Parel, Vikhroli, Mankhurd, Bhandup, Govandi, and Mumbra.
Issues faced by Marathi schools (as per panellists)
>> Infrastructural problems and declining enrolment
>> Schools in commercial or residential buildings
>> Low attendance in civic-run anganwadis
>> Preference for English-medium schools among Marathi-speaking parents
>> Misconceptions about opportunities in Marathi schools
>> Staff shortages
