The new National Education Policy lays emphasis on imparting teaching in the mother tongue in primary classes.
Context
The new National Education Policy lays emphasis on imparting teaching in the mother tongue in primary classes.
About Odisha’s Samhati project
- Odisha has launched Samhati project for imparting its various tribal languages.
- The project will help save endangered tribal languages.
- According to the Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA), more than 302 textbooks and 2,500 supplementary reading materials including story books and pictures charts in 21 tribal languages have been developed.
- Under Samhati, all teachers of primary level would be provided functional knowledge of tribal languages.
- Implemented by: The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) and the Academy of Tribal Language and Culture (ATLC), Bhubaneswar.
- Odisha’s adivasi communities are as diverse as 21 spoken languages,Of the 21 languages, Santhali — the only language which has been included in the eighth schedule of the Constitution — is taught in its own ol chiki script while the rest of tribal languages have Odia scripts.
- Only six tribal languages — Santali, Ho, Soura, Munda and Kui — have a written script.
