Marathi Made Mandatory in All Maharashtra Schools from 2025, Staff Must Know Basics: Minister
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MUMBAI: Maharashtra School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse announced on Tuesday that all school staff across the state must possess knowledge of “basic working Marathi.” He reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring Marathi is taught in every school, irrespective of the board or medium of instruction, to preserve the state’s linguistic heritage.
The minister highlighted the strict implementation of the September 2024 directive, which mandates Marathi as a core subject in all schools starting from the 2025-26 academic year. This marks the end of concessions granted during the pandemic. Under the new framework, Marathi will be evaluated through a marks-based system across all boards, including CBSE, ICSE, and IB, replacing the earlier graded assessment system.
“Marathi has earned the prestigious status of a classical language. It is now essential that all schools in the state teach this language. Additionally, school staff must know basic working Marathi, and teachers proficient in the language must be appointed to teach it,” Bhuse stated during a press briefing. He also mentioned the possibility of conducting a language proficiency test for staff members to ensure compliance.
In 2020, the Maharashtra Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Marathi Language in Schools Act made Marathi a mandatory subject in all schools across the state, regardless of their board affiliation. However, the pandemic led to temporary relaxations. For example, in April 2023, non-state board schools were allowed to assess Marathi as a graded subject for Classes 8, 9, and 10, instead of assigning numerical marks.
This relaxation applied to only one batch, which will now move to Class 11. “From the academic year 2025-26, Marathi will once again be evaluated with marks,” Bhuse emphasized. This marks-based evaluation aims to elevate Marathi’s status and encourage students to engage deeply with the language.
Schools have been advised to prepare for this transition by updating curricula, allocating adequate resources, and ensuring the availability of trained faculty to teach Marathi effectively. The government has assured close monitoring of the implementation process to address any challenges that may arise during the transition.
