Pfutsero Government College celebrated International Mother Language Day on 21 February, 2024 with a variety of performances showcasing linguistic diversity and education, drawing a large audience of students and faculty to the college auditorium.
Dr. Tialila, the Principal of Pfutsero Government College, delivered an insightful speech underscoring the day’s global significance and aligning with the theme set by UNESCO for 2024: “Multilingual education is a pillar of learning and intergenerational learning.” Dr. Tialila emphasized the urgency of promoting mother tongue-based multilingual education in light of the stark statistic that 40% of the world’s population lacks access to education in a language they speak or understand. She cited UNESCO’s emphasis on early mother tongue education as foundational to learning and highlighted how the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 of India supports this by advocating multilingualism in schools.
The Principal stressed the alarming fact that at least 43% of the world’s languages are endangered, with one language vanishing every two weeks. This, she stated, not only represents a loss of communication but also the disappearance of cultural and intellectual heritage.
Dr. Tialila’s speech also touched on the significant strides made by the Government of India in preserving linguistic diversity, such as the National Translation Mission, which aims to bridge language barriers in education, and the Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages, focusing on saving threatened dialects.
Students from the college performed different cultural items including a folk song, poetry recitations, a folk tale in local dialect, and a folk drama.
