Language barrier major cause of high dropout rate in schools

JHAPA, March 16: Language barrier between teachers and students has become a leading cause of high drop-out rate among students from indigenous communities.

Not all children from indigenous communities are familiar with the Nepali language. Most of these children speak only their mother tongue. According to schools in the district, language barrier is a major reason behind high drop-out rate among students from the indigenous communities at the primary level. These indigenous communities include Rajbanshi, Kisan, Gangain, Santhal and Muslims, among others.

One such school of the district is Dilli Raj Higher Secondary School in Taganduba of western Jhapa. As many as 45 students were admitted to grade one last year. However, there are only 17 students left in the school now.

“Most of the students who quit school were from the Muslim community,” said Principal Bhagdev Rajbanshi. “They don’t understand Nepali language and we don’t have teachers who can teach them in their language.”

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Fulbari is another school where 40 percent of the students speak only their mother tongue. The school has a total of 400 students. “We don’t have multi-lingual teachers,” said a teacher Gumeshor Prasad Sah.

Sushil Rajbanshi of Rajgadh-3 is a fourth grader. However, he still cannot read and write Nepali properly. “Although my children go to school regularly, they still haven’t learned to read and write Nepali,” said his father Gokul Rajbanshi.

Kisan community, which is in the verge of extinction, is also hit hard by the problem. Only 17 people from the community have passed SLC till date. “Those who speak only their mother tongue have been hit the hardest,” said Bhim Khawas, principal of Jagirgadi High School. “They are among the students who have not been able to improve their studies. In the long-term they develop an inferiority complex and finally quit school.”

Meanwhile, District Education Officer Dilli Ram Luitel admitted that language barrier is forcing many students to quit school. “Language plays an important role in the learning process and more so in the case of primary level students. We are indeed in need of teachers who can speak local languages,” he said.