Promoting Education and Mother Tongue of Indigenous Children through Establishing Manipuri Language Center (MLC) 2013
Form the success and learning of ESC, ECDO was motivated to introduce innovative programs dedicated to education, language, culture and livelihood of all ethnic groups living in Sylhet region. The authority of ECDO was hunting for both national and international collaboration in innovative programs. The success of ECDO in primary education among ethnic groups was circulated widely and presented in its website elaborately.
At the end of 2013, the education activities of ECDO were able to attract the attention of HEI VERDEN, a Norwegian Development Organization working for ensuring quality primary education. The authority of HEI VERDEN expressed their interest to visit physically ECDO’s activities in the project area. After their visit in November 2013, ECDO and HEI VERDEN agreed to work together on education for ensuring quality primary education of the children of ethnic and marginalized groups based on the same vision and mission of the two organizations. After an agreement between HEI VERDEN an ECDO, in January, 2015 a new project titled Promoting Education and Mother Tongue of Indigenous Children (PEMTEC) was introduced for the duration of three years. The main objective of that project was to ensure quality primary education for the children of ethnic and marginalized communities through bilingual teaching learning process. The ultimate aims of the project were to increase school enrollment, the quality of education and reducing dropout rate from the government primary school. Under this project ECDO established three Manipuri Language Centers (MLCs) along with three Education Support Centers (ESCs) in the Kamalgnj upazila of Moulovibazar area.
As Manipuri language is one of the most in danger of extinction in Bangladesh, it was crucial for understanding and preserving Manipuri language. Keeping this importance in mind, three Manipuri Language Centers (MLCs) were established for the Manipuri children in the same areas.
Under this project, ECDO also distributes education materials for marginalized children of tea garden and Patro communities and recruits teachers from their own community. ECDO is the only nongovernmental organization who took initiatives for publishing Manipuri textbook titled Manipuri londam lairikin Manipuri language with a translation in Bangladesh. The Book was first introduced in 2015 in the inauguration program of PEMTEC project. In this program, Dr. J N Biswas, the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education was the chief guest and other local government officials, civil society actors, journalists and researchers also attended the program. This book is for the children of Manipuri community studying in primary grade. The Manipuri londam lairik is divided into three parts, part one is for the beginners, while after completion of this book, part two and part three are taught in the second and third year respectively. Distribution of education materials and books written in their own mother tongue has increased the rate of primary school enrollment among the children of ethnic groups living in the project areas. Dropout rate is also decreased and the performance of the children at school is also improved.
