Assam Government Introduces Indigenous Languages as Medium of Instruction in Schools
GUWAHATI: The Assam Government has made a major move to enhance education for indigenous students by declaring Mising, Rabha, Karbi, Tiwa, Dimasa, and Deuri as Medium of Instruction (MoI) for the Foundational Stage in schools. This was declared by the Department of School Education and is intended to enrich learning experiences for children who use these languages.
With immediate effect, this initiative allows students to learn in their native languages during their early educational years. The goal is to foster a deeper understanding and connection to their cultural identities while improving their engagement and comprehension in the classroom.
Once the Foundational Stage has been completed, teaching in such languages will switch to a Regional Language as a Medium of Instruction. The move is meant to make students not only learn to read and write in their native languages but also acquire competence in regional languages to enhance their total educational development.
At the same time, the Assamese language, belonging to the Eastern Indo-Aryan group, has a rich heritage reflecting the cultural diversity of Assam. Developed from Magadhi Prakrit, it gained popularity during the Bhakti movement, especially through Srimanta Sankardeva's works. Recognized as an official language after independence, Assamese is under threat from English and Hindi but has recently been declared a classical language, strengthening the efforts of its preservation. This status gives research and promotion funding and support, and online forums and education programs are generating renewed interest among the young generations, keeping Assamese an active component of Assam's cultural identity.
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