Tura, Nov 21: The A’chik Conscious Holistically Integrated Krima (ACHIK), a Garo Hills based organization, has written to Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma seeking the creation of deficit and government posts for Garo teachers and lecturers in the educational institutions located in state capital, Shillong.
“Shillong, being a prominent educational hub of the state, hosts a significant number of Garo students pursuing their academic goals. Despite the large Garo student community, we have observed a glaring lack of academic resources and faculty members proficient in the Garo language due to absence of any Garo teacher or lecturers in the reputed institutions of Shillong. This situation not only undermines the status of Garo as one of the official languages of Meghalaya but also limits opportunities for students to learn and appreciate their linguistic and cultural heritage,” claimed the ACHIK group as it tried to justify its position on the demand.
“It is imperative that our educational institutions, particularly in regions like Shillong, reflect this acknowledgment by integrating Garo language education into their curriculum through qualified educators which can be done through creation deficit and government posts for Garo teachers and lecturers in Shillong’s schools and colleges while ensuring that sufficient resources are allocated for promoting Garo language and literature as part of the curriculum and facilitating workshops and training programs to encourage aspiring educators to specialize in Garo studies,” stated the organization in their letter to the education minister, adding that such steps will not only address the educational needs of the Garo community in Shillong but also contribute to the preservation and promotion of Meghalaya’s rich linguistic diversity.
