Formal Hindi and iTaukei (Vosa Vakaviti) should be made compulsory subjects up to Year 8 in primary schools to strengthen cultural understanding and unity in Fiji, says member of Parliament and National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad.
He said students should have the option of choosing one of the languages as a vernacular subject, adding that many young Fijians were interested in learning the languages of other communities.
“At the same time, institutions governed by religious and cultural organisations such as TISI Sangam, Fiji Muslim League, the Chinese and the Gujarati communities must be free to also hire with the help of government support, language teachers to teach Tamil, Urdu, Mandarin and Gujarati to students wanting to learn their mother tongue apart from either formal Hindi or iTaukei,” Prof Prasad said.
He said this approach would promote better understanding among Fiji’s diverse communities.
“This is the ideal and most logical way to start a national wave of understanding each other’s language, culture, tradition and custom, and the best platform to inculcate genuine unity in our multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-racial nation.”
He was responding to debate during the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights parliamentary hearing on the Education Bill on Thursday, over which form of Hindi should be taught in schools.
Prof Prasad said attempts to promote Fiji Hindi over formal Hindi undermined Indo-Fijian culture.
“Hindi scriptures are in formal Hindi and not in Fiji Hindi.”
He said those who insist on promoting Fiji Hindi and the 2013 Constitution that states conversational and contemporary Hindi and iTaukei be taught as compulsory subjects at all primary schools are totally unacceptable.”
