Schools say that making Gujarati mandatory would add more burden on the students, many of whom are too young to bear it. (Express Photo/Representational) Schools say that making Gujarati mandatory would add more burden on the students, many of whom are too young to bear it. (Express Photo/Representational) The state government’s decision to introduce Gujarati as a mandatory subject in all boards from Class I from this academic session has irked private schools affiliated to different boards, including Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE). The schools, which are still waiting to see the implementation of Gujarat Self-Financed Schools (Regulation of Fees) Act, 2017 — which fixed an upper ceiling on the annual fee charged by primary, secondary and higher secondary schools — alleged that the state education department did not consult them and take all “stakeholders” into confidence. “This is like dictatorship. There is no clarity and planning on the part of the government. The stakeholders were not taken into confidence through any dialogue or meeting. All this affects the quality of education in the long run,” said Manan Chowksi, executive director of Udgam School for Children and Zebar School for Children. Both these schools are affiliated to the CBSE. Schools say that making Gujarati mandatory would add more burden on the students, many of whom are too young to bear it. “When the students of Class I and II are already studying English and Hindi, teaching them a third language will add more burden on them. As a communicative language, students should know Gujarati but as literature, it should be made optional,” said Sujata Tandon, principal of Udgam School for Children. Private schools question the feasibility and utility of this decision. “There are students in our school from other states who do not even know Hindi. So, in addition to Hindi, now we have to teach them another language — Gujarati. What use is this language to those who know that they would be transferred in a year or two?” said Monica Ahluwalia, principal of Army Public School at Shahibaug. “While a few parents are happy about the decision, many are worried. As half of the school’s enrolment is from other states. It would be a challenge to learn a new language,” said Ranjana Rajput, secretary of CBSE Sahodaya School Complexes, a voluntary association of CBSE schools in the state, and principal of Shri Narayana Central School at Satellite. However, the state government has been terming this decision as “historic”. It claimed that it has been “appreciated by national and international stalwarts” of Gujarati language. “Making Gujarati a compulsory subject has been appreciated by Gujarati literature stalwarts, both from within and outside the country,” Education Minister Bhupendra-sinh Chudasama said. On March 27, Chudasama, in the presence of over three dozen Gujarati literature experts and writers in the Assembly, announced the decision to introduce Gujarati as a compulsory subject from Class I till Class VIII in all schools. For all the latest Ahmedabad News, download Indian Express App

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