Hindi to Become Required as Third Language in Classes 1–5 in Maharashtra

The school education department of Maharashtra state has announced a plan to slowly put in place a new education plan. This new plan follows the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Now, students in Classes 1 to 5 in schools that teach in Marathi and English will have to learn Hindi as a third language. Before, they only had to learn two languages.

Introduction of the Three-Language Idea in Maharashtra

The idea of three languages being taught in schools is part of the NEP 2020 plan for Maharashtra. It wants to make language learning stronger in elementary schools. Schools in Maharashtra that teach in other languages already follow this three-language idea (where English and Marathi are must-learn languages). So, making Hindi a required language for English and Marathi schools is a big change.

This new language system will start with Class 1 in the next school year. Then, it will gradually be used in the other grades in the years after that.

How the New 5+3+3+4 School Structure Will Start

Another important change is bringing in the 5+3+3+4 way of organizing school years, which was suggested in the NEP 2020. This will divide the school years like this:

• Foundation Stage (5 years): 3 years of pre-primary school and Classes 1–2
• Preparatory Stage (3 years): Classes 3–5
• Middle Stage (3 years): Classes 6–8
• Secondary Stage (4 years): Classes 9–12 ¹

This new structure will be introduced slowly, starting with Class 1 in the school year 2025–26.

Changes to What Students Learn and Their Books

The new things students will learn will be based on the rules from the NCERT (a national education group) but with some local changes. These local changes will be especially for subjects like social studies and language learning, to fit what’s important in Maharashtra. Balbharati, a textbook publisher in Maharashtra, will publish the textbooks for Class 1 as part of this new education plan starting in 2025.

For pre-primary school, what the kids will learn is already ready. According to Rahul Rekhawar, who is in charge of SCERT (a state education research group), this learning content will be used with the help of the Women and Child Welfare department, which manages anganwadis (local childcare centers). SCERT will also have training workshops for teachers in Maharashtra to make sure they can teach the new things well.

Help During the Change and Checking Student Progress in a New Way

To help with the change from the old system to the new one, SCERT has created special “bridge courses” for students. Also, the Maharashtra State Board (the main education board) will start using a Holistic Progress Card (HPC) system. Unlike the usual report cards that just show marks, the HPC will give a broader picture of how a student is growing. This will include how they act and their personality, along with how they are doing in their studies. The HPC will first be used for Class 1 students under the new education plan in 2025–26.

Main Points to Remember

• Hindi Must Be Taught in Elementary Schools: Hindi will be a required third language for Classes 1–5 in schools that teach in Marathi and English in Maharashtra.
• Schools Will Follow the Three-Language Rule: This change follows the NEP 2020 plan for Maharashtra.
• New 5+3+3+4 School Structure: The new way of organizing school years will start with Class 1 in the 2025–26 school year.
• What Students Learn and Their Books: The Class 1 textbooks for the Maharashtra State Board will follow the NCERT rules but will have some changes specific to the state.
• Teacher Training: SCERT will have workshops for pre-primary teachers, especially those working in anganwadis, with help from the Women and Child Welfare department.
• Holistic Progress Card (HPC): The HPC will give a full view of how students are doing, not just based on marks.

This new education plan in Maharashtra shows a big step towards following national education standards while also considering what is needed in the region. These updates show that the state is serious about creating a well-rounded and modern education system.

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