Nagaland to introduce local dialects in schools next yr

THE NAGALAND government will introduce Naga dialects in the state’s schools from the 2018 academic session. A notification said that it was being done to effectively implement the threelanguage policy and to preserve and promote local languages.

English will continue to remain the medium of instruction in schools because of a large number of local languages which are less developed. Teachers will be encouraged to explain difficult concepts and scientific terms in mother tongues of the children.

Alternative English will be abolished in a phased manner starting from class V from 2018 and classes VI to VIII from 2019 in schools with the introduction of the dialects. Nagaland has 16 major tribes apart from numerous sub-tribes with each having its own language.

In urban areas, Naga Heritage Studies will be introduced in addition to the local languages for non-local students, who do not belong to the linguistic group of an area, the notification said.

The decision was taken on the basis of recommendations of a committee, which noted that various Naga languages figured on the list of endangered languages. A survey found out that many Naga children were unable to speak their mother tongues.