April 4, 2025
RANCHI – The Jharkhand Government has decided to make the teaching of tribal and regional languages mandatory in government schools. To implement this initiative effectively, the state has studied the West Bengal model, and steps are being taken to bring it into practice soon.
Jharkhand’s Minister of School Education and Literacy Ramdas Soren has announced that teachers for regional languages will be appointed in proportion to the number of students.
He stated, “We will ensure that tribal and regional languages are made mandatory in schools under all circumstances. Necessary teacher appointments will be made for this.”
In West Bengal, education is provided in regional languages from kindergarten to postgraduate level. To understand their approach, the Jharkhand government sent a five-member team on a seven-day study tour to West Bengal.
The team closely examined the education system there and has submitted its report to the department. Chief Minister Hemant Soren will be briefed on the findings, and further policy decisions will be made based on the report.
A survey was conducted last year to assess the number of students speaking regional languages, but several flaws were identified. Minister Ramdas Soren mentioned that the linguistic identity of students in many schools was not properly recorded.
As a result, the School Education and Literacy Department has decided to conduct a fresh district-level survey. Once accurate linguistic data is obtained, the process of hiring teachers will begin, he said.
Congress MLA Naman Viksal Kongadi, a member of the ruling coalition, emphasized the necessity of appointing teachers for tribal languages at the primary, middle, high school, and college levels. Citing Article 29 and Article 350(A) of the Constitution, he asserted that regional languages should be included in education.
He also highlighted the errors in last year’s survey, where students from the Kurukh and Oraon tribal communities were not properly counted, which led to their exclusion from the teacher recruitment process.
In Simdega district, the survey proposed only two positions for Kharia, 41 for Mundari, and 156 for Nagpuri teachers, but no provisions were made for other tribal languages due to inaccurate data collection.
All eyes are now on Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s stance on the West Bengal study report. The government has already acknowledged the importance of appointing teachers for tribal languages, and if the West Bengal model is implemented effectively, it could be a major step toward preserving and promoting regional languages in Jharkhand.