Appointment of Marathi-medium teachers in Urdu-medium schools meets with opposition in Maharashtra

Urdu-medium teachers’ associations have raised concerns over the appointment of Marathi medium teachers as English teachers in Urdu medium schools in the first phase of Maharashtra’s ongoing teacher recruitment process.

Over 11,000 teaching posts in zilla parishad, municipal corporation, municipality and government-aided schools all over Maharashtra have been filled in the first phase of recruitment.

At least 160 posts for English teachers in Urdu-medium schools have been filled by Marathi medium candidates. There are over 5,000 Urdu-medium schools in the state and over 100 in Pune city, of which 35 are run by the Pune Municipal Corporation.

State president of All India Urdu Teachers Association Ilhajodin Farooqi said, “If the students are Urdu-speaking, then teachers from the Urdu medium who know both English and Urdu will be best. The same thing can have different words in Urdu and in Marathi. If we want good-quality English education, teachers should be able to first explain to children the concepts and rules of English in Urdu, which they understand best. How will a teacher who speaks English and Marathi do that?”