MLC Kapil Patil has objected to the state board’s decision to allow replacing the second language subject with vocational subjects for SSC students. With Marathi being the second subject for many city students, Mr Patil has said that the board’s decision will sound the death knell for languages and would result in producing skilled labour without communication skills.
Pointing to the futility of the Skill India initiative for school students wherein, a vocational subject could be opted for in place of a language subject by students, Mr Patil said that learning language was equally important for students. “In English medium schools, vocational subject will replace Marathi and in Marathi medium schools, Hindi will be replaced. This will lead to a major glut in language skills of students which would ultimately result in having skilled labourers,” said Mr Patil.
Adding that in the name of progressive growth in education, the government was throttling languages which is an important part of communication skills. “The vocational subjects will be introduced from class 9. Thus a student will have an option to skip second language from then on and further will also skip it in class 11 and 12 too thus weakening their language skills,” said Subhash More of Shikshak Bharati, a teachers organisation that has taken up the issue.
Mr More added that as skill teachers would be replacing language teachers, Shikshak Bharati would be forced to agitate on behalf of the aggrieved teachers.
