English alien to our culture, tradition: Teachers’ body
SHILLONG: The Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers’ Association (KDSTA) has accused the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBoSE) of trying to de-popularize the Khasi language by coming up with a notification to convert Khasi (MIL) from a compulsory to an elective subject.
“This decision of the Board is going to have a negative impact on the popularity of the Khasi language. The notification to make Khasi (MIL) as an elective subject is totally unacceptable,” KJDSTA president E.D. Nongsiang told newspersons while briefing on the resolution of the zonal meeting of the teachers’ association here on Monday.
According to him, the National Curriculum Framework of 2005 has stressed that importance should be given to promotion of the various local languages in the country.
“Surprisingly MBoSE is going the other way round. Instead of popularizing its own language, the Board wants to promote English which has no connection with our culture and tradition,” Nongsiang said, while asking the Board to revoke its decision.
“Along with English, Khasi (MIL) should again be made a compulsory subject like in the past,” he said.
He, however, asserted that no school in the State has endorsed this decision of the Board.
“The school authorities became aware of the MBoSE decision only after receiving the notification. Hence, it is not true that the schools have given their consent to make Khasi (MIL) as an elective subject,” the KJDSTA president said.
Nongsiang also said that they will meet the experts to deliberate further on the Board’s notification.
“We would also be meeting the Board officials to seek clarification on this notification,” the KJDSTA president added.
Following the controversy over the notification, MBoSE Executive Chairman E.P. Kharbhih had claimed that head of institutions were well informed of the Board’s proposal to change the existing structure and scheme of studies for the HSSLC level.
“We have clearly spelt out that out of the five subjects, English would remain as compulsory subject and MIL/ Alternative English may be taken as one of the elective subject,” Kharbhih had said.
Earlier, the KHADC, political parties and pressure groups had demanded that the State Government should immediately cancel the notification issued by the MBoSE to include Khasi only as an elective subject at the HSSLC level.
“The government must immediately scrap the notification issued by the MBoSE failing which we will be compelled to resort to massive agitations,” KHADC CEM Adelbert Nongrum had threatened.
