Kashmir: J&K SCERT to teach Hindi in classes from 1st to 10th in all schools

In a major development, in Jammu & Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir State Council of Educational Research and Training (JKSCERT) is likely to teach the Hindi language in classes from 1st to 10th in every school after 32 years. For this, JKSCERT recently constituted an eight-member Committee for suggestions of a mechanism for Teaching and Learning of Hindi in the schools of J&K. The Director has sought suggestions from the Committee in this regard.

The Committee will be serviced by the Jammu Kashmir Board of School Education, and recommendations will be submitted by February, 20, 2023. The Committee will be headed by the Chairman of JKBOSE followed by seven other members, including the Director of School Education Jammu; Project Director Samagra Shiksha, J&K; the Director of School Education Kashmir; the Director of Academics, JKBOSE; Joint Director SCERT; the Joint Director, SCERT Divisional Office Jammu; Divisional Office Kashmir Member and Joint Director SCERT Central, J&K.

Bharatiya Janata Party Spokesperson Altaf Thakur in Kashmir has supported this initiative of teaching Hindi in the valley. He said that language does not belong to any religion. Also, Muslim students learn Hindi in other parts of the country. On the other hand, Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami of the Gupkar Alliance opposed this initiative. He alleged that on the instruction of the BJP, Hindi is being imposed in private schools of the union territory, and it will be opposed.

Notably, according to the reports, there are about 23,173 government schools in J&K. Hindi is taught in the government and private schools of Jammu. However, there was no such provision in the valley before this. One of the big reasons behind this was an exodus of Hindus from the valley. During that period, Kashmiri Hindus, who used to teach Hindi, were persecuted and forced to leave the valley.

Since then, there has been no Hindi teacher in any of the valley schools. As per experts, Hindi was taught in more than 70 per cent of schools in the valley till 1990. It is said that only Urdu, Kashmiri Language and English were given priority earlier. Hindi is taught only in those schools affiliated with CBSE.