No textbooks, teachers for Santal children

RAJSHAHI, Feb 18: Santal community child Omar Tudu studies at Andhar Kota Government Primary School at Paba upazila in Rajshahi district. He has been promoted to class two. Omar Tudu was very happy to receive free textbooks on the first day of this year.
However, he finds himself in trouble while studying the textbooks as the language he speaks at home does not exist in the textbooks. Though he cannot read and understand Bangla properly, he has to study in Bangla.
Not only Tudu, but also about 50,000 Santal children like him are facing difficulties to continue their studies as they neither have any textbook nor teacher in their own language.
It is known that from pre-primary to class three, children of other minority groups are given textbooks in their own language, but formulation of Santal language textbooks got stuck in the complexities of letter selection.
As a result, the Santal community students are being dropped out at the beginning of their education. Besides, their own language is getting lost day by day due to lack of opportunity to study in their mother tongue.
In order to sustain the mother tongue, the indigenous Santal people have demanded appointment of teachers along with the provision of textbooks in their own language.
This correspondent has recently visited Santal Palli of Haldibna village at Haripur Union in Paba Upazila and Santal Palli of Sindukai tribal at Tanor Upazila in Rajshahi district.
Joy Toppo and Basanti Khalko, two students of Andharkotha Government Primary School, said that about 25-30 tribal students were studying in different classes of this school. As we have no books or teachers in our own language, it is very difficult for us to study, they said.
"We cannot explain many things to the teacher as they do not understand our language properly. Therefore, many students of our community do not even want to come to school," said Joy Toppo and Basanti Khalko.
They said that there were about 35 families of the community living in their village and they spoke their own mother tongue among themselves.
"But we do not get the opportunity to speak in our own language in the educational institutions. Moreover, it is difficult for us to continue studying due to lack of textbooks and teachers in our own language," they added.
Santal leader Seemanta Hembram said that it was very important that their children studied in their own languages. He said that their children would be more educated if there were textbooks and teachers in their languages.
Subash Chandra Hembram, spokesperson and office secretary of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad central committee, said that their children wanted to study in their mother tongue but they did not have any textbook and teacher on their own.
He said that the teachers of other ethnic groups could not understand what students of their community speak.
"A child's intellectual development occurs in the early stage of life. But, the Santal students are deprived of proper education due to lack of textbooks and teachers in their own language," he said, urging the government to distribute textbooks and appoint teachers in Santal language.
Subash Chandra Hembram said that in the neighbouring country India, the Olcheki alphabet was given state recognition for Santal. "I want the government to distribute textbooks also in Alchiki alphabet in Bangladesh," he added.
Fazle Hossain Badsha, Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education and Member of Parliament for Rajshahi-2 Constituency, said that it was the right of everyone to speak and study in their mother tongue. Santal should also be given the opportunity to study in their language.
He also said that it would be good for everyone if textbooks were written in Santal language. Therefore, the government must take responsibility to create education opportunities for every tribal child.

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