Maharashtra: English Categorised As 'Foreign Language'; No Longer Compulsory For Classes 11 & 12

In a major change, English will no longer be compulsory for Classes 11 and 12 in Maharashtra and will be classified as a "foreign language."

According to the Indian Express, this is part of the new draft State Curriculum Framework (SCF) for School Education from Class 3 to Class 12. This draft was released by the Maharashtra State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) on Wednesday.

New plans introduced

Under the new plan for Classes 11 and 12, students can choose eight subjects: two languages, environmental and physical education, and four subjects of their choice. The goal is to eventually remove the traditional Arts, Commerce, and Science streams. One of the languages must be Indian, from a list of 17 native languages and nine foreign languages, including English.

The draft does not clearly state what will happen with English for Classes 3 to 10, where it has been mandatory. For Classes 3 to 5, students will have two languages instead of three. The first language can be their mother tongue or Marathi, and the second can be any other language.

For Classes 7 and 8, three languages are recommended, but the specific combinations are not detailed. For Classes 9 and 10, two of the three languages must be Indian.

Students can mix subjects from two fileds

The SCF also suggests a new approach for junior college, allowing students to mix subjects from different fields instead of sticking to Arts, Commerce, or Science.

Additionally, the SCF recommends including the Indian Knowledge System in the curriculum. This would cover topics like Yoga, ancient Indian technologies and sciences, and historical contributions to mathematics, such as Aryabhatta’s work. Classes 11 and 12 will have a course on India’s knowledge traditions and practices.

Published on: Friday, May 24, 2024, 11:14 AM IST