Pic: Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Mar 10: From the academic year 2020-21, students of standard 6 can choose to study Beary as their third language. The long pending demand by the Beary Sahithya Academy to include Beary as a subject in the primary and high school curriculum has been approved by the department of State Education Research and Training.

Beary Sahitya Academy president Rahim Uchil has appealed to parents to motivate their children to select Beary as their third language.

Addressing a press meet at the academy office on Tuesday, March 10, he said that the department has given permission to introduce Beary language into the curriculum for students studying in Std 6 to 10. As part of the first phase, the language will be taught in schools across Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

Circular imparting information on inclusion of new language into the curriculum has also been dispatched to schools.

The department of State Education Research and Training has already held meetings with the Academy. The Academy has been directed to prepare lessons in Beary Language and a subject expert committee has already been formed.

Hampi Kannada University retired professor V V Navada and other prominent Beary personalities are part of the committee. The committee has to submit the curriculum framework to the Department by March 14.

Beary is a Dravidian language and is extensively used in the coastal district after Tulu. The Beary language is written using Kannada script. The Beary curriculum and lessons will be prepared in Kannada script. This will enable teachers who know Kannada teach the subject.

There is extensive literature in Beary language. A dictionary and grammar book is also being prepared, Uchil said.