Chhattisgarh”s Initiative to Offer Primary Education in Local Dialects
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The Chattisgarh government, headed by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, is going to introduce primary education in 18 local languages and dialects for tribal students. It shall also provide quality education in the mother tongue of the students from the tribal community so that they remain attached to their native language and culture.
The policy decision to include local languages and dialects in primary education is in furtherance of and in tandem with NEP 2020, which categorically enunciates the need to make education more inclusive, let alone accessible to children through the medium of their choice and, if possible, in their mother tongue from foundational stages. There has to be a three-language formula; multilingualism has to be promoted in a way that allows any student to communicate in multiple languages, at least across the country, if not nationally. It also aims to promote national integration by making students conversant with different cultures and languages while developing respect for… lingual diversity .
Implementation Details and Impact
This intervention in Chhattisgarh involves the development of bi-lingual books in 18 local languages/dialects and translation of text books and teaching materials into these languages. The teachers will be trained in these languages also so as to effectively deliver education.
It is envisaged that this step will increase access and quality of education in tribal communities, whereby children therein will now be able to receive education in their mother tongue and have a strong attachment to their culture. This is one of the major steps that will ensure inclusive and quality education for all learners, most especially in tribal communities.
Other States Initiative
The initiative which Chhattisgarh is taking to offer primary education in local languages and dialects is nothing new. Other states of the country, like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, have also initiated or been planning initiatives to introduce regional language mediums for education, even at the level of medical and engineering studies. For example, recently, Bihar declared the move to start teaching medicine in Hindi while Madhya Pradesh provided the choices to students to
opt for either Hindi or English as the medium. These are actions taken in pursuance of the general vision of NEP 2020 for making the education system more inclusive and accessible to children through their native languages .
Conclusion
The move of the Chhattisgarh government to provide primary education in 18 local languages and dialects is indeed about concerns that keep linguistic diversity alive and ensures that quality education reaches students hailing from tribal communities through their mother tongue. This thus falls in line with the principles enshrined in NEP 2020 and contributes to the greater objectives of making education inclusive and accessible for all children in India.
