By Peter Elacqua
Staff Writer
MARLBORO – Representatives of the Marlboro Hindi School have made a proposal to the Marlboro K-8 School District Board of Education to teach Hindi to students at the Marlboro Middle School and the Marlboro Memorial Middle School.
Hindi is a language spoken in India, Pakistan and other south Asian countries.
During the board’s Oct. 18 meeting, Ved Chaudhary and Bishan Agrawal, representing the Marlboro Hindi School, offered Agrawal’s services to teach in Marlboro’s two public middle schools for two years.
Agrawal has a background as a math teacher and said he would take any certification courses necessary to teach in Marlboro’s middle schools.
The Hindi school has offered its curriculum to the public school district and the representatives said changes will be made if necessary in order to meet state standards.
The representatives of the Hindi school said that if the K-8 board accepts their proposal, they will make a proposal to the Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education to teach Hindi to ninth grade students at Marlboro High School.
Marlboro Superintendent of Schools Eric Hibbs said the proposal will go to the board’s curriculum committee for review. Hibbs reiterated that Agrawal would have to acquire the certification necessary to teach in the public schools.
The Marlboro Hindi School was started in January 2001 with nine students by Chaudhary and Agrawal in the basement of Agrawal’s home in Marlboro.
In 2002, enrollment exceeded 20 students and classes were held at the Marlboro Library.
In 2004, the Hindi school moved to its present location at Marlboro’s Frank Defino Central Elementary School.
The Hindi school currently has more than 150 students and offers seven levels of classes (Beginner I, Beginner II and Level I to V). Agrawal is the principal and there are eight regular and substitute teachers.