From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI, April 17: Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Friday urged the Centre to include Khasi and Garo within the CBSE language options, particularly under the three language formula.
In a letter to Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan here, Rymbui said that across all districts of the State, a large number of students studying in CBSE-affiliated schools come from tribal communities where Khasi and Garo are widely spoken and form the foundation of early learning and daily communication.
For many children, these languages are their first medium of understanding and expression, he said. Moreover, both Khasi and Garo languages, which are mother languages widely spoken by the locals, have been recognised as official languages of Meghalaya besides English recently.
The Minister also expressed concern that Khasi and Garo do not presently find place in the list of languages under R1, R2, or R3. This has created challenges at the school level, as students are required to opt for a third language that may be unfamiliar to them at a formative stage, which may have a bearing on their comprehension and overall learning outcomes, he pointed out.
The Meghalaya government has recently implemented strict local language requirements making Khasi and Garo languages compulsory for all students from Preschool to Class 1 in all schools across the state, including CBSE-affiliated ones. Many schools in Meghalaya follow CBSE syllabus and the same is done by the central schools and the Eklavya schools, he said.
The issue also has significant implications from an administrative and human resource perspective, Rymbui said. A considerable number of teachers are presently engaged in teaching Khasi and Garo across schools in the state and in the absence of formal recognition of these languages within the framework, there is uncertainty regarding their continued engagement, which may affect their professional stability, he added.
At the same time, schools particularly in rural and remote areas are likely to face practical difficulties in recruiting qualified teachers for alternative languages within a limited timeframe. This could lead to gaps in implementation and place additional strain on already limited educational resources, the Minister said.
Moreover, in the National Education Policy 2020, emphasis has been placed on the use of mother tongue and local languages, particularly in the early years, to promote better learning outcomes and holistic development. A flexible and context-sensitive approach would therefore be in alignment with the spirit of the Policy, he said.
Inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages by the CBSE would not only support students in their learning journey but also address the practical challenges faced by schools and safeguard the role of existing language teachers, while preserving the rich linguistic heritage of the state, the Minister said.
Inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages by CBSE will address the concerns of students, teachers, and schools across Meghalaya, he added.
Incidentally, other northeastern languages like Mizo and Tangkhul are already included, despite having smaller speaker populations.
The letter was submitted by Rymbui to the Union Minister through CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh because of the ongoing hectic parliament session.
