Shillong (Meghalaya), April 10: The Education Department, has proposed introducing compulsory Khasi and Garo languages for students up to Class 4 across the state. This initiative aims to foster linguistic integration, cognitive development, and cultural unity in Meghalaya, aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The proposal includes making Khasi and Garo mandatory subjects, with Khasi/Jaintia students learning basic Garo and Garo students learning basic Khasi. This move is seen as a step towards promoting early multilingualism, which is supported by NEP 2020 for its cognitive benefits.
The BJP in Meghalaya has been advocating for making Khasi and Garo compulsory subjects in schools up to Class 5, emphasizing the importance of local languages in education. Congress MP Vincent H Pala has also written to the Union Education Minister, requesting the inclusion of Khasi and Garo in the CBSE’s list of options for second language.
Khasi and Garo are significant languages in Meghalaya, with Khasi written using Latin and Bengali scripts and taught in elementary to high school in Meghalaya and Bangladesh. Garo, on the other hand, is closely related to Koch and Bodo languages, part of the Tibeto-Burman language family.
The proposal is now open for feedback from stakeholders, including educators, parents, students, community leaders, and government officials, on the feasibility, challenges, and broader implications of this initiative.
