Kids move from English to Marathi... ByParents are increasingly shifting children to vernacular institutes for better culture and understanding.Breaking the trend of sending children exclusively to English-medium schools for better opportunities and a sense of prestige, some parents in the city are choosing to move their kids to Marathi medium institutes, looking to preserve a sense of culture and local language in the next generation.For instance, Sameer Khadkekar’s daughter, Anushree, studied in an English-medium school till Class VI, before her father decided to move her to a Marathi-medium one. Explained Khadkekar, “While my daughter was studying all her subjects in English, it was sometimes difficult for her to understand concepts. But, when the same concept was explained to her at home in Marathi, she had no trouble.”He added, “Apart from better understanding, the culture that kids imbibe in Marathi schools is more to our taste. We are Maharashtrians and our children are fond of festivals. There were a few instances when my daughter went to school with mehndi on her hands and her school sent us a note saying it wasn’t allowed. I think children should be able to enjoy festivals freely and without restrictions from their schools.”Anushree was given Marathi textbooks for Class VII during vacations to see if she was comfortable. She informed her parents that it was definitely easier for her to follow the language.Parents also feel that Marathimedium schools are somewhat more lenient when it comes to academic pressure. Prachi Joshi has a daughter in Class X and the workload is a constant source of concern. It’s too late to move her daughter elsewhere, but Joshi has decided to shift her son, who is in Class III, to a Marathi-medium school.Said Joshi, “During vacations, I got both Marathi and English-medium books on the same subjects and showed my son, Pawan Kumar, the difference. It was easy for him to adapt the concepts in his mother tongue and he is now all set to start with the new medium of teaching at Madhav Sadhashiv Golwalkar Guruji Vidyalaya.” Joshi also agreed that that there is also a cultural difference between English and Marathi-medium schools and she looks forward to the latter.Sarita Mehta, another parent in the city, is searching for a Marathi-medium school for her daughter. She said, “My daughter has just been promoted to Class II and is already going for coaching classes. If she studies the same subjects in Marathi, I am convinced there will be a positive difference.”While Mehta has shortlisted schools for her daughter, she had not received admission yet. She said, “I am eager to change the medium, but my daughter’s name is on the waiting lists. I hope she gets admission in a Marathi-medium institute soon.”School officials confirmed that there has been a jump in students shifting from English to Marathi medium.Kalpana Dhalewadikar, principal of Madhav Sadhashiv Golwalkar Guruji Vidyalaya in Sadashiv Peth, said, “We have been getting as many as 10-12 students from Englishmedium schools. Although the primary reason is that parents feel their kids cope better in Marathi, there is also the cultural factor which fuels their decision.”She added, “Students are taught about their culture and to have manners. Despite the slew of Englishmedium schools in the city, it was never a challenge to run a Marathi one. In fact, we had to increase the divisions and also start playgroup classes at parents’ behest.”Jayashree Shinde, principal of Renuka Swaroop Memorial Girls’ High School, also in Sadashiv Peth, echoed, “This year, we have as many as 22 students who are coming from Englishmedium schools. Parents seem concerned about the kind of culture being inculcated in their kids.”Shinde added that the celebration of events such as Lokmanya Tilak’s birth anniversary or Ganesh Chaturthi are becoming increasingly important to parents in a world saturated on globalisation. That Marathimedium schools make space and time for such celebrations endear them to parents.“People are thinking more about culture than higher education. Also, students in our school come from all economic strata as the fees are affordable. Mixing with peers from different backgrounds is also part of our culture,” she elaborated.Anil Gore, a teacher in the city, who holds workshops and lectures in Marathi, lauded the shift in mindset. “I have been spreading awareness about learning in one’s mother tongue to help students understand subjects better. This isn’t restricted only to Pune – the trend is spreading across Maharashtra. Apart from better understanding and affinity to culture, it is also observed that teachers in Marathimedium schools do not change regularly, thus enabling a stronger bond with students,” he said.

Stay updated with all the Pune Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.