Sabah Proposes Expanding Ethnic Language Teaching in Schools

PENAMPANG: A proposal to expand the teaching of the Kadazandusun language subject in schools to include four other ethnic languages in Sabah has been submitted to the Federal Government for consideration, said Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Datuk Ewon Benedick.
He said the four major ethnic languages proposed are the Tatana language in Kuala Penyu, Kadazan Tangaa in Penampang, Murut Timugon in Tenom and Dusun Lotud in Tuaran.
The United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) president said he, along with a delegation from Sabah, had held discussions with Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek and the Ministry of Education delegation last year.
'Yang Berhormat Fadhlina subsequently agreed for a special committee under the Ministry of Education to be established to study this proposal. I will continue to follow up on all efforts to realise this initiative.
'Up to now, the Kadazandusun language subject in schools has been based solely on the Bunduliwan Dusun dialect,' he said in a statement after officiating the Odou do Kaamatan celebration at Kampung Mahandoi here today.
Ewon said efforts to strengthen the ethnic language curriculum are ongoing initiatives involving various parties including the Kadazandusun Language Foundation (KLF), the Momogun National Congress (MNC), and the Sabah Ethnic Languages Association.
He said his ministry is also supporting the effort through the allocation of special funding to four ethnic language associations for the development of modules, workbooks and textbooks.
'The teaching of these four Sabah ethnic languages can be implemented on a pilot basis in selected schools. For example, in Kuala Penyu, teaching the Tatana language would be more appropriate compared to using the Bunduliwan dialect,' he said.
According to Ewon, Sabah could emulate the implementation of ethnic language education in government schools in Sarawak, which has piloted the teaching of the Iban and Bidayuh languages.
'Efforts in this direction are underway. A delegation from Sabah has also visited schools in Sarawak to observe first-hand the implementation of Bidayuh language teaching, in addition to the Iban language,' he said.

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