Shillong, June 4: With the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) including Mizo and Tangkhul as second language options in its curriculum, Congress’ Shillong MP Vincent H Pala has sought for the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the list of approved languages of the Board as well.
In a letter to the Union Minister of Education, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on Friday, Pala said, “I…fervently request you to consider the inclusion of Khasi and Garo language in the list of approved languages at the earliest so that the children of my state can receive the best of education.”
He pointed out that Mizo and Tangkhul languages are spoken by very a small population viz. Mizo language is spoken by approximately 12 lakh people and Tangkhul is spoken by 1.83 lakh people.
In comparison, Meghalaya has an approximate population of 35 lakh of which 47% speak Khasi and 30.86 % speak Garo while rest speak other languages. Besides, a sizeable population of Bangladesh also speaks the Khasi and Garo languages.
As such, the two major languages spoken in the state should be included by CBSE as second languages in its curriculum.
Additionally, he stated that CBSE affiliated schools are not popular in Meghalaya due to the language barrier even though parents are aware that CBSE is the best board for appearing in various competitive examinations.
