Indigenous Children

'Introduce primary edn in mother tongue'

29 April 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

The government will have to play the key role in introducing primary education in mother tongue for indigenous children, speakers at a workshop said yesterday. They said a number of organisations of the indigenous people and other non-government organisations (NGOs) are working on this issue and that the government can consider their recommendations while working on it. Stressing the need for coordination among the NGOs, they said the government has to take the lead in this regard. Research and Development Collective (RDC) in association with Oxfam organised the daylong workshop titled 'Primary education of indigenous children in their mother tongue, the role of the state and non-government organisations' at the National Planning and Development Academy in the city, marking the Global Action Week on Education. Three separate group discussions were held in the workshop. Speaking on the occasion, Rasheda K Chowdhury, executive director of Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), said the government can consider the experiences of the non-government organisations working on this issue. She also urged all to cooperate with the government to implement the National Education Policy immediately, as a quarter is conducting a campaign against it. Fazle Hossain Badsha MP said the government can start the work for the indigenous communities which have maximum representation. Prof Mesbah Kamal, general secretary of RDC, said it is the right of every citizen to receive education in their mother tongue, no matter how small their community may be. Edward Manna Mandal, country director of SIL Bangladesh, presented a keynote paper and Prof Dr Abdul Malek of the Institute of Education and Research of Dhaka University presided over the workshop. Praggananda Mahathera, chairman of Monoghor, a renowned educational institution in Chittagong Hill Tracts, and indigenous leader Nirola Tansong also spoke.