No more Marathi schools for now in Maharashtra

Pune: Marathi schools are losing their hold making way for English medium schools in most parts of Maharashtra.

Tired of new schools playing the Marathi card to get aid, the state government has now decided to reject the 4000 pending applications for new Marathi-medium schools, saying there is simply no need for them. It has even barred existing schools from expanding.

The government's argues, there are enough Marathi schools and with their number of students declining, there is no need for more

MARATHI-MEDIUM SCHOOLS IN MAHARASHTRA

• 76,000 schools up to Class X
• 6,000 schools up to Class XII

But protests are growing against the state government's decision.

''Ideally the student who completes Standard VII in a school should also be able to pass Standard X from the same school. But we are not getting permission,'' says Purva Mhalgi, the supervisor of G R Palkar Junior School.

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The government is more crucially against schools that come up and then pressurize the government for aid in the name of Marathi.

It has promised to bring out a master plan in favour of Marathi schools that agree to be self-sustainable.

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The decision has come as a rude shock not only to the Marathi schools but also to thousands of students studying here. It is also likely to give enough fodder to political parties.

''While every other state is supporting education in mother tongue, our government is allowing education in every language barring Marathi,'' says Salil Kulkarni of Education in Marathi Coordination Committee.

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MNS Chief Raj Thackeray has already upped the ante taking up the issue with the chief Minister.

But politicians refuse to acknowledge or even examine why existing Marathi schools are steadily losing ground to English education.