Agriculture Made Compulsory Subject For Classes 6 To 8 In Maharashtra

Maharashtra’s school education department has decided to run an agriculture curriculum for the students of Classes 6 to 8 as a compulsory subject for the upcoming calendar year. The state’s agricultural department has prepared a curriculum that includes practical farming knowledge.

In accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) announced the introduction of agriculture in the curriculum.

The NEP 2020 focuses on integrating vocational subjects such as entrepreneurial skills, crafts, traditional and local arts, agriculture, or any other subject that displays local expertise in the curriculum.

The school education department has decided the inclusion of agriculture as a mandatory subject, with the curriculum being finalised by the state agricultural department.

During a recent meeting in Pune, school education minister Deepak Kesarkar instructed the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) director to develop a proposal to implement the agriculture curriculum.

Additionally, the director of Maharashtra Prathamik Shikshan Parishad (MPSP), has been directed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the agriculture department to facilitate the curriculum’s integration, reported Hindustan Times.

Teaching Agriculture In Schools

A senior officer from the education department said a committee of officials from the state’s agriculture and education department and agriculture university teachers had developed a plan to teach agriculture in all classes.

The syllabus would be introduced in three phases - Classes 1 to 5, 6 to 9, and 9 to 10, covering agriculture-related topics, including their significance, job opportunities, and farming information. An SCERT officer said they would come up with further guidelines soon.

School teachers in the city, however, have raised concerns that it would be difficult to provide hands-on agricultural experiences to students in an urban setting. One of the teachers from a city school stated that it would be challenging to implement this subject in a city like Mumbai. “We need to take students to nearby villages to give them practical experience in agriculture.” The teacher added that there was no need to introduce a special curriculum for agriculture since it is already included in the current curriculum.

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