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English made compulsory from class 1 in Maharashtra

In a key shift from its earlier education policy, Maharashtra government today decided to introduce English as a compulsory language in all Marathi-medium schools from class one.

This decision was taken at the weekly cabinet meeting held at Mantralaya in Bombay today.

Earlier, students in Marathi-medium schools began studying English only from standard five.

''The government feels that because of this, children especially from the lower strata of the society, were left out in the race for higher education,'' a sources at Mantralaya said.

Being acquainted with English at an earlier stage in life would help children face the fierce global competition at various levels more effectively, he added.

The new curriculum would come into effect from the next academic year in both public and private schools.

The craze for English had led to rash of English schools all over the state. With the increasing demand these schools had begun charging a premium on admissions in the grab of donation funds.

With more and more parents opting for English schools for their wards, several Marathi municipal schools also had to be shut down.

UNI

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