Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar opposed the move to include Hindi as third from first grade to the state schools and said it should be taught from fifth grade.
Talking to reporters in Mumbai on Tuesday, Pawar also said that students should learn Marathi from the first grade so that they can read and write it well.
The state government issued a revised order last week stating that students from first to fifth grade in Marathi and English medium schools would generally be taught Hindi as third, after which controversy arose.
The government said that Hindi will not be mandatory, however, it made the consent of at least 20 students in each class to study anyone other than Hindi.
Pawar said, “The Chief Minister called a meeting on the issue on Monday. I believe that Hindi should not be started from first grade to fourth grade. It should be started from fifth grade. Students should learn Marathi from the first grade and be able to read and write it fluent.
He said that although no one is against teaching any particular, it is unfair to put an additional burden on young students in the initial stage. Meanwhile, actor Sayaji Shinde also opposed teaching Hindi from the first grade.
He said, “Students should be allowed to learn Marathi, which is a very rich. They should be proficient in Marathi at an early age and should not put any other burden on them. If it has to be made mandatory, it should be taught only after fifth grade.
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