Rule was pushed after some other states implemented it

Updated on: Thursday, November 17, 2011

State education officials said that the three-language formula was made compulsory in non-SSC schools in Maharashtra after it had been in force in state board institutions for years. What also prompted the education department to take the step was that the Andhra Pradesh government had passed a similar rule for all schools functioning in that state.

“Our aim was to promote some uniformity in various boards’ curricula. We don’t see why schools should have a problem with this rule,” said an education department official on condition of anonymity. The official claimed that the unvarying three-language formula has been existing for years in states such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa. The Maharashtra government, therefore, was doing nothing new in trying to introduce it here.

Schools, however, did not agree with the state’s line of reasoning. “Except for English, which is the core subject, the CBSE doesn’t make any language compulsory for students. This gives them the freedom to choose subjects they are comfortable with. It is unfair to force particular subjects on children,” said Deepshikha Srivastava, principal of Rajhans Vidyalaya in Andheri (W). Srivastava added that parents of most students in her school have transferable jobs, because of which the children have to move regularly. “How can we expect students to learn so many languages when they are shifting schools every few years? The CBSE curriculum has been designed in a way to accommodate students from any state or board.”

Parents and students were the most relieved by the Bombay high court’s stay on the three language formula from class I to VIII in non-SSC schools. “My daughter has changed three schools in the past seven years because my job takes me to different states and countries. She faces a lot of problems in coping up with languages so we usually look for schools where we can opt for foreign languages,” said Sujeet Mishra. whose daughter studies in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Powai.

Rule was pushed after some other states implemented it

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