Leaders of Santal community, one of the ethnic minority groups, have
urged the government to add chapters to primary textbooks, using 'Roman
Santali' alphabets so that their children could receive education in
mother tongue with the help of Roman alphabets.
Bangladesh Santal Council made the appeal at a press conference at
Dinajpur Press Club yesterday. Santal community leaders, including
President of Bangladesh Santal Council SC Albert Soren, and the
representatives of different organisations working with the ethnic
communities were present.
The speakers said if a separate section in the textbooks is written with
'Roman Santali' alphabets, around three lakh Santal children across the
country will have the opportunity to learn their own language at the
state-run primary schools.
Most of the indigenous children in different parts of the country have
hardly any scope to use their mother tongue outside their community. At
school, they learn Bangla and English but not their mother language.
Language barrier affects their learning as well as relationship with
Bangla speaking students, they said.
Santali language is being taught with the help of Roman alphabets in a
few educational institutions in Dinajpur and Joypurhat districts, but
there are no books in Santali language, the speakers added.
They requested the government to form a committee with educated Santals
to write chapters in Santali language with the help of Roman alphabets.
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