Supriya Sule Protests Maharashtra Govt’s Move to Introduce CBSE Curriculum in State-Run Schools

Member of Parliament Supriya Sule has sent a letter to Maharashtra's School Education Minister, Dadaji Bhuse, protesting against the state government's proposal to introduce the CBSE curriculum in government-run schools. She criticized the government for not doing adequate discussions and consultations prior to going ahead with the move.

The School Education Minister also announced in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly recently that though the government had been granted permission by the Steering Committee to adopt the CBSE curriculum, discussions are still going on to finalize the adoption of the CBSE timetable.

The shift will start with Class 1 students from the academic year 2025-26, with the new session beginning on 15 June. The state board schools in Maharashtra also could gradually sync up with the CBSE academic calendar, bringing their commencement date forward to 1 April.

Sule faulted the government for not holding dialogues with important stakeholders prior to reaching the decision. In her view, important reforms like curriculum planning, textbooks, and teacher training—currently being overseen by the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT)—should have been taken to the competent authority for endorsement, but this was neglected.

Echoing Sule's apprehensions, Nitin Dalvi, President of Mumbai Students, Parents, and Teachers Association, emphasized that the issues of teachers and parents must be heard before the imposition of such changes. One of them that he mentioned was about the alteration in the academic calendar.

Maharashtra board schools have traditionally opened on 15 June to take into consideration the blistering heat during April and May. Compelling students to go to school from 1 April is risky from a health viewpoint. If the students get sick or experience any ill effects because of extreme heat, who will be responsible?" Dalvi asked.

In her letter, Sule also expressed concern over the effect of this decision on Marathi language education. "By adopting the curriculum of another board, there is doubt about how much significance will be accorded to Marathi, which has been newly declared a classical language. This decision goes against Maharashtra's rich literary, artistic, and cultural tradition, which is very worrying," she wrote.

In light of such apprehensions, Sule urged the decision be reversed with immediate effect and urged the government to call for a meeting involving all stakeholders. She underlined that the consensus process must focus on the interests of Maharashtra's children and the rich educational heritage of the state.