Dimapur, June 3 (MExN): The All Nagaland School Teachers Association (ANSTA) today lauded the State Government and Department of School Education decision to introduce three language policy and local languages in Schools as “timely action to protect local languages” from extinction.
It was approved by the State Cabinet on April 26 and has already been notified by the Department of School Education.
The introduction of local languages in school is a positive step towards Preservation, Protection and Promoting the local languages and identities, ANSTA stated in a press note issued by its President Ponchulo Wanth and General Secretary Visato Koso.
Opining that the influence of western culture, rapid advancement of technologies, urban migration and other factors cloud easily drift many children away from their roots and identities, it said the new policy will encourage and give opportunity to every children to learn his/her mother tongue in the school.
Many Naga languages are in “list of endangered languages,” ANSTA noted adding that a large number of youngsters communicate with each other either in Nagamese or English even at home due to their inability to speak their mother tongue.
“It therefore hopes that introduction of local languages/dialects in schools…will go a long way in Preservation and Promotion of Naga local languages and identities besides bringing a qualitative change in the Education system of the State,” it added.
A provision under policy which encouraged teachers to explain the difficult concepts and scientific terms in the mother tongues will also make children understands their easier and better, ANSTA further highlighted. As per the DoSE notification, every school would introduce at least one local language in the school from the next academic 2018 onward where the language teachers would be appointed as per NCTE norms.
It will also open up employment opportunity for educated unemployed, ANSTA said.
While it foresee some practical problems in the initial implementation of policy due to existence of multi-languages in the State, the Association said it will extend all possible cooperation to the implementing agencies for effective implementation of the programme for the “benefits of thousand young learners of the State.” The Association all out for the academic improvement of the children, it added.
