RANCHI: The Jharkhand government has decided to make the teaching of tribal and regional languages mandatory in government schools across the state, along the lines of the West Bengal model. Steps are being taken so that it could be brought into practice promptly. The move is reportedly aimed at helping students understand their culture and traditions better.
Replying to a resolution proposed by Congress MLA Naman Bixal Kongari seeking the appointment of teachers for teaching tribal languages in primary, middle, high schools and colleges during the last day of the budget session of the Jharkhand Assembly, state Minister of School Education and Literacy Ramdas Soren shared that a five-member committee had been sent to West Bengal to understand their model.
The report submitted by the panel to the department concerned will be forwarded to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, he added.
“Education in tribal and regional languages will be ensured at all costs,” asserted Ramdas. Teachers of regional languages will be appointed in proportion to the number of students, he noted.
According to the minister, the model of the neighbouring state of West Bengal, where education right from childhood to the postgraduate level is imparted in regional languages, has been studied. Efforts are under way to implement something similar to the West Bengal model, he said.
The minister shared that a survey was conducted last year to ascertain the number of students who spoke regional languages. However, a review found several errors in the survey. “Since students could not be fully identified on the linguistic level in many schools, therefore, a survey will be conducted again at the district level,” said the minister. Once data on the linguistic ratio is available, the process to recruit teachers for the project will get under way.