In a significant step towards promoting indigenous languages, 200 lower primary schools across 11 districts in Assam will begin teaching in the Mising language from April 1, 2025. Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu made the announcement, highlighting this initiative as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasizes education in the mother tongue at the foundational level.
ৰাষ্ট্ৰীয় শিক্ষা নীতি ২০২০ৰ সাৰ্থক ৰূপায়ণেৰে মিচিং ভাষাত শিক্ষাদান কৰিবলৈ ওলোৱা ৰাজ্যৰ ১১খন জিলাৰ ২০০খন নিম্ন প্ৰাথমিক বিদ্যালয়লৈ আন্তৰিক শুভেচ্ছা জনালোঁ। বুনিয়াদী স্তৰত মাতৃভাষাত শিক্ষাদানৰ এই প্ৰক্ৰিয়া যথানীতি অনুসৰি আন জনজাতীয় ভাষাতো আৰম্ভ কৰা হ’ব।#NEP2020… pic.twitter.com/RO0FhAQsEn
— Ranoj Pegu (@ranojpeguassam) April 2, 2025
Minister Pegu congratulated the schools on this milestone and reiterated the state’s commitment to expanding this initiative to other tribal languages in Assam.
“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the 200 lower primary schools in 11 districts that will now teach in the Mising language. The successful implementation of the NEP will ensure that children receive education in their mother tongue, fostering better learning outcomes. This approach will also be extended to other tribal languages as per policy,” said Pegu.
The schools implementing Mising as a medium of instruction are located in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Dibrugarh, and several other districts with a significant Mising-speaking population.
Mising, also known as Mising Agom, belongs to the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. It is spoken by over 629,954 people (2011 Census), primarily in Assam and parts of Arunachal Pradesh. The language uses a modified Roman script, adopted in 1972, and has a rich oral and written literary tradition.
The introduction of Mising in primary schools aligns with the NEP’s focus on multilingual education, aiming to enhance comprehension and cognitive development among young learners. Experts believe that early education in the mother tongue leads to better academic performance and cultural preservation.
This move also comes at a crucial time when indigenous languages face challenges due to increasing dominance of major languages. By integrating Mising into the school curriculum, Assam is taking a step towards linguistic inclusivity and cultural preservation.
