USE YOUR MOTHER-TONGUE

LOOKING....Joseph Pairin Kitingan looking at the work done by the KadazanDusun language teachers.

DEPUTY Chief Minister, Joseph Pairin Kitingan wants more KadazanDusun language classes to be taught in primary and secondary schools in Sabah. He especially wants the younger KadazanDusun generation to speak in their mother tongue not only in daily conversations but also as a means to preserve their cultural heritage.

Pairin, who is also the Minister of Infrastructure Development said that the KadazanDusun Cultural Association (KDCA) and United Sabah Dusun Association (USDA) have decided on the Bundu Liwan language to be used in teaching at  schools, after a debate on the status of language to be chosen. However, vocabulary from the KadazanDusun dialect will also be used in the teaching.

Pairin said this at  the closing ceremony of Kursus Dalam Perkhidmatan Bahasa Kadazandusun Kohot 2012 organised by Bahagian Pendidikan Guru (BPG) of Ministry of Education, Sabah Education Department and Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPG) Keningau.

Pairin said that so far he is very pleased with the progress of the teaching of the KadazanDusun language in primary schools that was started in 1997.

"Our language is our identity. Teaching our mother-tongue in schools will encourage it's usage among our younger generation.

However he said that the question of using which dialect in schools should not be debated as many other dialects are used to further enrich the KadazanDusun grammar.

Also present at the ceremony were the Director of IPG, Rujinah Miki, the Coordinator of Ethnic and Indigenous Language of Bahagian Pendidikan Guru (BPG) of the Ministry of Education, Norliza Yusof , Kadazan Language Coordinator, Joseph Yabai and IPG Keningau and Kadazan Language Course Coordinator State Department of Education, Sitiamah Sahat.

Pairin also supports the idea of establishing a KadazanDusun Language Teachers' Council or Tungkus (Tinimungan Mongingia Boros KadazanDusun) as proposed by a KadazanDusun language instructor. It's mission is to elevate the Kadazandusun language as a language for everyday communication. The council will also serve as an avenue to preserve our national heritage.

Meanwhile, Sitiamah Sahat the Kadazan Language Course Coordinator of the State Department of Education said, as of now, 861 primary schools and 100 secondary schools in Sabah have made the KadazanDusun language part of the subjects taught in schools.

368 primary school teachers and 37 secondary school teachers are involved in teaching the language. A total of 25 teachers for the second intake of the KadazanDusun Language course from across the state have completed their 6 months training and received their certificates at the  ceremony at IPG Keningau. (Insight Sabah)