The Maharashtra State Teachers’ Union has launched a statewide protest against the government’s revised teacher appointment policy, arguing that it threatens the future of low-enrolment schools, particularly in rural areas. The new policy, they claim, risks making thousands of teachers surplus and could force several schools, especially Marathi-medium institutions, into closure.
Under the ‘Sanch Manyata’ process, schools with fewer than 20 students in classes 6 to 8 will not be assigned any teachers. While these institutions will remain open on paper, the lack of teaching staff will effectively render them non-functional, putting the education of enrolled students in jeopardy. Teachers’ associations argue that while the policy does not explicitly call for the shutdown of these schools, it indirectly makes their survival impossible, raising serious concerns about access to education in remote areas where alternatives are limited.
Jalindar Devaram Sarode, President of the Maharashtra State Teachers’ Union, emphasised that many rural schools already struggle with low student numbers and that depriving them of teachers would only worsen the situation. He warned that students from these schools would be left with no choice but to travel long distances for their education, something that is simply not feasible for many due to inadequate transport facilities. The burden, he added, would fall disproportionately on female students, as parents in rural communities are often reluctant to send their daughters to faraway schools. “Instead of supporting education, the government is discouraging it with policies crafted from the comfort of air-conditioned offices,” he remarked.
In Mumbai, the main protest was held outside the Western Division Education Inspector’s Office and was led by J. M. Abhyankar, Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) representing the Mumbai teachers’ association. He strongly criticised the policy, arguing that it would hit Marathi-medium schools the hardest, many of which are already struggling to stay afloat. “The closure of Marathi schools is not just an injustice to teachers but a direct threat to the existence of the Marathi language itself. We will not stop protesting until the government revokes this decision,” he said.
The teachers’ union has also expressed concerns that the new policy would push students towards private and commercialised institutions, making education inaccessible for those from underprivileged backgrounds. Sarode accused the government of prioritising privatisation over public education, stating that this decision would deepen educational inequality. “We will not tolerate the commercialisation of education. The government must immediately withdraw its decision to close Marathi and other linguistic schools, or we will escalate our protest into a statewide agitation,” he warned.
The teachers have made it clear that unless the policy is reversed, they will intensify their demonstrations across Maharashtra, with larger protests planned in the coming weeks.
