The state government’s recent decision to introduce Hindi as a compulsory third language from Class 1 has drawn criticism from educators, experts, and parent associations, who claim the move was implemented without adequate public consultation or expert input.
The announcement, which follows the earlier mandate making Marathi compulsory in schools to safeguard the state’s linguistic heritage, extends the three-language formula to the primary level for the first time. Previously, this framework was applied only to secondary education. The shift will affect both Marathi-medium and English-medium schools, with the new policy set to take effect from the upcoming academic year for students in Classes 1 to 5.
Critics argue that the imposition of Hindi at such an early stage in a child’s education was not sufficiently discussed with key stakeholders. Dhanwanti Hardikar, a senior educator, expressed concern over the lack of transparency in the policy-making process.
“In the draft education policy that was released for public feedback, there was no mention of Hindi being made compulsory at the primary level,” Hardikar said. “Introducing such a significant change without adequate dialogue or trust-building among the public has naturally led to resistance.”
She further emphasised that while informal exposure to Hindi through everyday interaction might not have faced similar opposition, turning it into a formal subject—with standardised reading and writing expectations—adds unnecessary academic pressure on young learners. “Language acquisition at that age should be a joyful and organic process. When it becomes mandatory and formal, it shifts from exploration to obligation, which can be stressful for children.”
Nitin Dalvi, president of the Mumbai Parents, Teachers and Students Association, echoed these sentiments. “Top-down decisions like these, made without engaging those who will be most affected—parents, teachers and students—undermine trust in the system. Such policies, no matter how well-intentioned, can have far-reaching and unintended consequences.”
The policy has also raised concerns about the cognitive load placed on primary school students, who will now be expected to simultaneously learn three languages. Former chairman of the state education board and noted education expert Vasant Kalpande proposed an alternative approach.
“Rather than mandating Hindi, the state could have offered students a choice among various regional, classical or foreign languages—such as Kannada, Telugu, Konkani, Urdu, Sanskrit, Pali, or Arabic. This would have been a more inclusive and practical way to honour India’s linguistic diversity.”
The state education department has yet to issue a detailed response to the concerns. In the meantime, educationists continue to urge the government to revisit the decision and open the floor for a broader and more inclusive dialogue, ensuring that language learning remains a child-centric, culturally sensitive, and pedagogically sound process.
