La Martiniere College has become the first English medium school in the city of nawabs, Lucknow to start course in  Urdu as an optional subject in classes up to VIII.

The subject will be taught from the current academic session. Since the past seven years the college has been working together with Dubai-based Bazm-e-Urdu Society to run the course.

According to media reports, an inaugural ceremony has also been planned by the college for the launch of this course.In total 40 students from  class V have already opted for the course. Besides Urdu, La Martiniere students also have the option to study Sanskrit and French.

“It is a well appreciated move to introduce Urdu in mainstream education and 40 students opting for it in the first year is an encouraging sign,” said college’s head librarian Naheed Hasnain.

The research chair has also been instituted in college in the name of the reowned Urdu poet Josh Malihabadi.

“Rehan Khan, the general secretary of Bazm-e-Urdu Society, is based in Dubai and is an alumnus of La Martiniere College. He wanted to start a primary level school in Dubai and asked me join in his enedeavour. Instead, I sent my student Asrar Qureshi’s resume. Later, Khan told me that Qureshi would teach at La Martiniere and his salary would be provided by Bazm-e-Urdu Society,” said Asmat Malihabadi, a member of the society and grandson of Josh Malihabadi.

At the Urdu Conference organised by Urdu department of Lucknow University,the principal of La Martiniere College, Carlyle McFarland, was congratulated for letting teach Urdu language in the school curriculum.