The training session, which was expected to have been conducted in summer break, as per usual practice; had to be postponed because teachers were engaged in census-duties. (File Photo)Even as Schools across Maharashtra are reopening on Monday after the summer vacation, instead of beginning with a new curriculum that is being rolled out for classes 2, 3, 4 and 6 of the Maharashtra state board schools, these classes will begin a new academic year with specially designed bridge courses.This will continue till July as the teachers are yet to undergo the mandatory training required to implement the revised syllabus.The training session, which was expected to have been conducted in summer break, as per usual practice; had to be postponed because teachers were engaged in census-duties. As a result, these classes of the Maharashtra State Board Schools will begin a new academic year with specially designed bridge courses, instead of the new curriculum. According to teachers, this delay is a clear example of how non-academic duties assigned to them have affected their core responsibility of teaching.The State Council for Education Research and Training (SCERT) has now issued a circular informing teachers of the schedule for training sessions to be held between June 17 to July 10, 2026; at different levels – states, district and taluka – for different sets of teachers categorised as per the medium of instructions.It states, “The new curriculum is being implemented in the state in a phased manner from the academic year 2025-26. Accordingly, teacher teaching classes 2, 3, 4 and 6 are being trained for the implementation of the new curriculum. The state-level training for teachers of Classes 2, 3 and 4 has been completed, while training for class 6 is still pending. In view of the Census 2027 activities currently underway in the state, the previously scheduled district level and taluka-level training programmes had been postponed.”Until April there was uncertainty whether class 6 will see the curriculum revision as per the schedule of Maharashtra’s rollout of the new State Curriculum Framework (SCF) under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. “But now even as the entire study material for the new curriculum is ready; it cannot be implemented until teachers are trained for it, along with teachers of Classes 2, 3 and 4; where too only state level sessions are completed, but the district and taluka level session are yet to be held for teacher training,” said a senior teacher adding that the increasing load of non-academic work on teachers is dangerous for their primary duty of teaching.Mahendra Ganpule from Maharashtra School Principals Association said, “The circular issued by the SCERT clearly states that these training sessions were postponed in view of the census duty assigned to teachers. This training session was important for rolling out the revised curriculum with the beginning of the new academic year.”Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting. Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. 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