More than 50 Marathi schools in US to get support from Maharashtra government

While Marathi is being taught at community schools in the United States, Maharashtra IT and Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar has said the state government would provide official support towards this end.

MEETING WITH BAY AREA MANDAL

In a recent trip to San Francisco's Bay Area, Ashish Shelar met with members of the Maharashtra Mandal, an organization that runs some such schools.

These schools, run by volunteers from among Marathi speakers' diaspora communities, instruct children in non-India the Marathi language and courses in culture, history, and people's traditions.

The Bay Area school, begun in 2005, now has about 300 students enrolled.

In the US as a whole, there are over 50 Marathi schools operating on similar lines with community but not State support.

The members of Mandal presented a brief at the meeting that official recognition, common curriculum, examination pattern, and recognition would enhance the quality of instruction and ease administration.

Official certification would enable more parents and volunteers to join in, they further added.

GOVERNMENT ASSURES COOPERATION

To that, Mr Shelar said he would take the issue to table with School Education Minister Dada Bhuse and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

He assured the delegation that the Maharashtra government would provide full support.

This would include access to curriculum materials, letters of support from the government, and other papers which could allow such schools to operate and gain legitimacy.

The visit is a recognition of greater attention to the contribution that diaspora communities can make towards retention of regional languages and cultures.

Though such schools are not part of any kind of network of schooling, their contribution to retention of linguistic heritage outside the country is significant.

With this promise given by the minister, family schools and volunteers now look forward eagerly to action.

Such assistance, if undertaken, would give order to their activities and assist in providing long-term sustainability for Marathi language learning by the diaspora.