Maharashtra Relaxes English Language Mandate for Class 11 and 12

Starting from the upcoming academic year, students in Class 11 and 12 will no longer be required to study English language as a mandatory subject. Instead, they will have the option to choose two languages, with one being an Indian language and the other selected from a range of Indian and foreign languages. This adjustment, allowing flexibility in language study, has been introduced in the State Curriculum Framework (SCF) released by the State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT).

Until now, the subject has been obligatory from Standards 1 to 12. The State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) released the draft for school education in Maharashtra on Wednesday, inviting input from various stakeholders. Kamaladevi Awate, overseeing the State Curriculum Framework (SCF) at SCERT, emphasized the substantial recognition given to India and Maharashtra's diverse multilingual heritage within this curriculum framework.

According to a report of TOI, "Students should study two Indian languages and one foreign language until the age of 15. Up to class 12, all students are encouraged to receive education in Marathi language. In schools where a particular medium of instruction is used, that language will be the first language and will be most familiar to the student," she added.