Page 21 - EW December 2025

and manuals into Hindi and local lan- ing to Mumbai.
guages. This requires a large number However, it has
of highly qualified translators fluent in consistently
Hindi and English, who are simply not registered high
available. literacy (80.30
“This type of rabble-rousing might percent) thus far
enthuse sangh parivar foot-soldiers, because of 1,600
but is not good for national unity. Un- government and
fortunately the dead three-languages aided schools in
learning prescription has been revived the area. But now
by the National Education Policy many schools
(NEP) 2020. In the south, this is be- there are likely to
ing interpreted as another attempt to be closed down.
impose Hindi. Already Tamil Nadu This policy not
and Karnataka have rejected NEP only deprives
2020 and have written their own State Teachers ire: surplus apprehension children from
Education Policies, prescribing learn- EWS (eco-
ing of only two languages, especially Sanch Manyata GR was first issued nomically weaker sections) of vitally
English. The economic gap between in 2024. However through prolonged important primary education, it
the south and BIMARU Hindi belt protests and negotiations, teach- will also hurt teachers and staff who
states is certain to widen,” predicts ers’ associations have managed to will become surplus and rendered
a professor of education in a promi- delay implementation of the policy unemployed,” says Uday Shinde
nent Delhi-based private university and have persuaded state education of the Maharashtra Rajya Prathamik
who requested anonymity “for obvi- ministry officials to evaluate data for Shishak Samittee (MRPSS).
ous reasons”. the academic year 2025-26 instead The Right of Children to Free &
Unfortunately for the citizenry and of 2024-25. Compulsory Education (RTE) Act,
children of India, such vital issues are But now with schools lesser than 2009 states children should not have
never resolved. They are resurrected the prescribed enrolment in several to travel more than 3 km to attend
and debated endlessly. districts earmarked for closure, school. But following closure of
Kaveree Bamzai (Delhi) teachers believe it is only a matter free-of-charge government schools
of time when the policy will start in remote areas of the state, children
MAHARASHTRA being implemented. For instance, 39 will have to commute longer dis-
Irate teachers unions schools in the Sindhudurg district of tances to larger government schools.
Maharashtra’s Konkan region will
“Poor quality roads and deficiency of
be closed this year under the Sanch affordable public transport which is
owerful teachers unions state- Manyata policy directive. Under the normative in rural areas, will force a
wide are preparing to launch policy directive, several zilla pari- large number of children to drop out
Pmega protest rallies against shad (government rural schools) will of primary-secondary education,”
the state’s BJP/NCP/Shiv Sena coali- have to make do with one teacher for warns Shinde.
tion government’s Sanch Manyata several grades who will be obliged to “On one hand, the government
policy which could lead to closure teach several unrelated subjects. talks about improving the quality of
of 18,000 government and aided Spokespersons of teachers federa- education for children, but on the
schools and render 20,000 teachers tions contend that the state govern- other, it enacts policies that deprive
jobless. To demonstrate their clout, ment is “missing the wood for the them of teachers and/or encourage
15 teachers associations called a one- trees,” with government officials multi-grade teaching. How can we
day statewide strike on December 5. focused on the technicalities of the ensure quality education when a
Teachers ire has been aroused by policy while overlooking its long- Hindi language teacher has to also
a government resolution (GR) to in- term impact of depriving children in teach maths in school,” questions
troduce its Sanch Manyata (‘section the state’s remote areas of critically Vijay Kombey, State President,
approval’) policy which mandates important primary education. Their Maharashtra Rajya Prathamik
that government and aided schools demand is for revocation of the Shishak Samittee.
with less than 20 students won’t be Sanch Manyata GR altogether. Disappointed by the state govern-
allotted any teachers and support “Sindhudurg is one of the state’s ment’s hard stand on this issue,
staff. backward districts that experiences despite several rounds of delibera-
It’s pertinent to note that the high migration with people mov- tions with teachers’ representatives,

DECEMBER 2025 EDUCATIONWORLD 21