Kathmandu, December 31:

A recent study has revealed that some indigenous communities prefer receiving education in Nepali language and be a part of the mainstream educational system than in their languages.

Professor Dr Tirtha Raj Parajuli, curriculum expert at the Tribhuvan University, said learning through respective mother tongues could help the indigenous communities grasp knowledge more easily but, unlike what the activists have been demanding, they have stated they ultimately want to join the mainstream national educational system.

“Rather than specific learning for the indigenous group, they demanded national curriculum so that they could get more opportunities and could communicate with others,” said Prof Parajuli.

The report for the Formative Research Project for EFA 2004-2009 on Meeting Learning Needs of Children of Indigenous Peoples and Linguistic Minorities, recently conducted by the Research Centre for Educational Innovation and Development (CERID) revealed that the Santhal community preferred to send their children to schools as they could get an opportunity for learning Nepali language, which, they said, would be helpful to their children for the future and present.

Similarly, the Bote children use Nepali language both at home and in schools.

The study, conducted in Rasuwa, Chitwan and Morang, shows it is incorrect to force them to learn their native languages, as they are no longer in the habit of using them.