Kohima: To preserve and promote the tradition and culture of the indigenous tribes of the state, Nagaland will be replacing Alternative English with “Heritage Study” from Classes 5-8 from the next academic session.
The State Level Education Committee has approved of the change and would implement it from the 2016-17 academic session, Nagaland State Council of Educational Research & Training (SCERT) Director, Vipralhou Kesiezie said during the celebration of International Arts Education Week here yesterday.
“This change has been necessitated because of the fact that Alternative English studied in schools in lieu of mother tongue although Alternative English is never a substitute of one's Mother Tongue,” he said.
Introduction of “Heritage Study” will protect, preserve and promote the rich cultural values of the Nagas, he said.
In Heritage Study, students will be given the opportunity to learn about their own culture and heritage relating to history, folk tales, legends, poems, dances, music, games and sports, tribal way of life, dresses/attires, food, cultivations and all related heritage.
Almost 90 per cent of the Naga students are taking Alternative English in lieu of Mother Tongue thereby depriving themselves of learning anything about the cultural values of the Nagas, including their own language, he said.
“We hope and believe that by introducing this new subject Heritage Study, we will be able to inculcate the traditional and cultural values of the Nagas,” he said.
