Guwahati: Assam government will introduce four tribal languages, Mising, Rabha, Tiwa, and Deori, as a medium of instruction in state schools from classes one to five.
This was announced by State Education Minister Ranoj Pegu on Friday that the state government has chosen to adopt the four tribal languages as a medium of teaching at the lower primary school level to meet the demands of these tribes.
According to national media reports, Pegu said, “We have decided to introduce Mising, Rabha, Tiwa and Deori languages as a medium of instruction from classes one to five. It was a demand from these communities to introduce these languages as a medium of instruction at lower primary school level.”
He stated that the module will be multilingual. “Textbooks will be produced in such a way that kids can learn Assamese or English while learning Rabha language,” the minister added.
Pegu also claimed that the government is attempting to implement these languages as a medium of teaching this year, albeit this is contingent on technical issues such as textbook development.
He further stated that schools and teachers who are fluent in the aforementioned languages will be chosen to prepare the textbooks. These languages will be launched in 2023 if not sooner.
The Assam government on Monday announced that Garo and seven other tribal languages will be taught in Assam schools up to the higher secondary level as part of the curriculum.
“There will be an option to learn any tribal language in classes VI to VIII as an optional subject and from Class IX to XII as an elective subject. The Assam government will introduce Rabha, Mising, Tiwa, and Deuri languages as a medium of instruction in LP Schools with a multi-language pedagogy to improve proficiency in Assamese and English language too,” Pegu had informed on Twitter.