SHILLONG: The controversial decision of the MBOSE to make Khasi language an elective subject at the school level, which gave rise to misgivings among certain sections, has been stoutly defended by Deputy Chief Minister in-charge education RS Laloo.
Replying to a call attention motion in the Assembly on Monday, he said the Board’s decision was in conformity with national curriculum framework and was aimed at giving flexibility to students to choose subjects according to their aptitude and career goals.
Replying the charge that by making Khasi an elective subject was as disservice to the growth of the language, Prof Laloo claimed that the number of students who have opted for the Khasi language has gone up after the MIL has been as an “elective subject’.
Deputy Chief Minister said that even when MIL was a compulsory subject, students had options of choosing up to eight languages apart from Khasi under the MIL subject which includes Alternative English, Assamese, Bengali, Hindi, Nepali, Mizo, Urdu and Garo language.
He also said that there is a myth to claim that the MBoSE is discriminating against the language adding that this inclusion of MIL in the list of elective subjects is also practiced in other Boards, namely, CBSE, ICSE, State Education Boards of Jharkhand, Punjab & Mizoram etc.
“In fact the steps taken are progressive rather than being retroactive in nature by giving more flexibility to the students,” Prof Laloo said.
With a view to adopting consultation processes with each and every measure to improve quality of education and streamlining examination processes MBOSE had duly constituted the Examination Committee and the Academic Committee which is represented by senior teachers, educationists and government officials.
“The recommendations of these two Committees were then taken up with the Board for approval. All measures adopted by the Board are approved by the Government before their actual implementation,” he said adding that keeping in mind for the long term development and welfare of students in tandem with the broad policy framework of the National curriculum framework, the MBOSE has introduced a number of innovative schemes with active participation and support from the Government and all major stakeholders through their representatives in the Board, the Examination Committee and the Academic Committee.
He said that the new scheme of studies for Arts, Science and Commerce implies that the students would have an added advantage of having four elective subjects to choose from and not only three elective subjects as in the old scheme of studies.
Prof Laloo further said that the Board has also taken due steps vide its official Notification in 2013 to ensure that all Head of Institutions were well informed and made aware of the Board’s proposal to change the existing structure and scheme of studies for the HSSLC Examinations to be effective from 2013.
“These two Notifications clearly spell out that out of five subjects, English would remain as a compulsory subject and MIL/Alternative English may be taken up as one of the elective subjects from a list of subjects offered by MBOSE,” Deputy Chief Minister said adding that with this new policy, a candidate may also offer one additional elective subject as the 6th subject.
Under the new dispensation students will have more choice of subjects of interest and which are job oriented from the list of subjects newly introduced by the Board namely Informatics Practices, Psychology, Travel & Tourism Techniques, Horticulture, Sociology, Music (Western) & Physical Education, he clarified.
Deputy Chief Minister said that he tended to disagree that the Board has not duly consulted the stakeholders and has affected the modification in a clandestine manner as alleged by certain organizations and section of the teaching community.
Earlier, while moving the motion, Ardent Basaiawmoit (HSPDP) said that the Board has clarified on the issue and there is a claim and counter claim that the Khasi language has not been dropped and vice versa adding that the confusion on the issue is still lingering in the minds of the people.
“Therefore, it is very important that we get a very clear picture from the Government and its stand on this issue,” the HSPDP legislator said.
He also pointed out that the language issue is one of the very sensitive issues when it comes to the tribal people.
“It has a very strong attachment to the identity of any community. It was an issue of a language that ignites the mind of every tribal in the North eastern region to rise up against the Assam Government when it tried to impose Assamese as an official language in those days which had also led to the Hill State movement,” Basaiawmoit said.
He said that the National Curriculum Framework find that several mentions were made on the importance of language.