Over 80,000 Students Fail Marathi In Maharashtra SSC Exam, Experts Raise Concern
Over 80,000 Students Fail Marathi In Maharashtra SSC Exam, Experts Raise Concern
Educationists say spelling mistakes, declining reading habits and reduced interest in the language are contributing to the rise in failures in Marathi subjects
The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has reported that more than 80,000 students failed in Marathi in the 2026 SSC examinations, raising concerns among educationists and language experts about students’ command over the state language.
The Class 10 results were declared on Friday, with the overall pass percentage standing at 92.09%. While the state recorded strong overall results, the number of failures in Marathi has triggered debate at a time when discussions around preserving regional languages are gaining momentum.
According to board data, out of 10,98,623 students registered for Marathi as their first language, 10,87,699 students appeared for the examination. Of these, 10,06,896 students passed, while 80,803 students failed, taking the subject’s pass percentage to 92.57%.
In addition, Marathi was selected as a second or third language by 4,13,917 students. Among them, 13,741 students failed. Overall, nearly 94,544 students failed in Marathi language subjects across categories.
Education experts said the trend reflects growing challenges in language learning, particularly among younger students. Many pointed to spelling mistakes, declining reading habits and reduced day-to-day use of Marathi as major reasons behind the increasing number of failures.
Some educationists also stressed the need to improve teaching methods and generate greater interest in Marathi language learning among students. Experts further suggested that Marathi should be made compulsory up to Class 12 instead of only till Class 10.
The issue has gained significance as Marathi recently received the status of a classical language from the Centre, leading to renewed discussions about preserving and strengthening regional languages.
Meanwhile, the Konkan division recorded the highest SSC pass percentage in the state at 97.62%. A total of 15,55,026 regular students from nine divisional boards Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, Kolhapur, Latur, Amravati, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Konkan had registered for the examination.
Out of these, 15,42,472 students appeared for the exams and 14,20,486 students passed.
The Mumbai division saw a noticeable decline in results this year, with reports indicating that around 4,000 students failed in the division.
Board statistics also showed strong performances in several other languages. All 302 students who opted for Gujarati as a second or third language passed the examination, recording a 100% result. Sanskrit recorded a pass percentage of nearly 99%, while Arabic also achieved a pass percentage above 99%.
Education experts believe the Marathi language issue reflects broader social and educational changes, including shifting language preferences, urbanisation and evolving schooling patterns in Maharashtra.
