BHUBANESWAR : Children of non-resident Odias will now get an opportunity to learn their mother tongue from language experts online.
The Culture department has started work on preparing an Odia learning module to strengthen the language speaking, reading and writing skills for children in primary grades who are living in other countries. The course curriculum will have Odia learning material for pre-primary to Class III students.
Officials said since children of Odias living outside the country have little scope to learn their language, it has been decided to create a course module for them. “Since English becomes a mode of conversation in the NRO families, only a few children grow up to learn and speak their native language fluently. There are many others who can understand but cannot speak or write Odia. With this module, we would provide them an opportunity to get the fundamentals of their mother tongue right,” said an official.
The department has joined hands with Odia Virtual Academy and Odisha Knowledge Corporation for creating the learning module and assisting virtual classes respectively. Children taking up the course will also be provided certificates. The department will approach the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) to recognise and certify the course.
This apart, the department is contemplating to reprint the original version of Odia Barnabodha which was written by ‘Bhakta Kabi’ Madhusudan Rao in 1901. “The original book was sourced from Rao’s granddaughter and we are in the process of re-printing it through experts associated with Odia Bhasa Pratishthan after the state government’s approval,” said an official.