By: Rin Ousa
PHNOM PENH – The Jarai language will be introduced into the Multilingual Education Program from January 27, an initiative that stakeholders say is expected to help preserve the community’s mother tongue, culture and traditions.
Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Hang Chuon Naron was due to launch the initiative in Ratanakiri province.
The program has run since 2003 through bilingual literacy programs in formal and non-formal education. It is used as a bridging model, whereby children begin learning in their mother tongue and gradually transition to Khmer, following the full national curriculum from fourth grade.
To ensure effective implementation of the program, the ministry has established key mechanisms and legal frameworks, including the compilation of an alphabet system for indigenous languages such as Tompoun, Kreung, Prao, Kavet, Bunong, and Jarai, based on the Khmer alphabet.
Other measures include the Multilingual Education Action Plan 2024–2028, as well as curriculums, textbooks, and learning materials linked to the culture, traditions and customs of indigenous communities.
The program has also been integrated into teacher training programs at the Northeastern Regional Training Center in Stung Treng, as well as pedagogical and vocational training schools in Kratie and Preah Vihear.
The ministry has translated textbooks and learning materials into the Jarai language for implementation under the Multilingual Education Program, which is currently being piloted in seven primary schools in O’yadav and Andoung Meas districts of Ratanakiri province.
The program has received support from key organizations, including UNICEF, the Capacity Development Partnership Fund, the European Union, Aide et Action, Integral Cooperation Cambodia, CARE, NTFP Organization and Plan International.
Crucial Step to Promote Indigenous Languages
Currently, about 7,500 children from indigenous communities, from kindergarten to third grade, are enrolled in the Multilingual Education Program.
Each year, around 400 indigenous people are recruited as teachers in target schools in Ratanakiri, Stung Treng, Kratie, Mondulkiri and Preah Vihear provinces.
Vorn Samphors, country director of NGO Aide et Action Cambodia, said introduction of the Jarai language was a significant contribution to preserving the community’s mother tongue, culture and traditions.
Beyond speaking the Jarai language at home, Samphors said that from Jan. 27, children will have access to the language in classrooms from kindergarten to third grade, enabling them to improve their language proficiency at an early age.
“Their engagement in language preservation can help safeguard their identity in the future. Thus, more people will continue to recognize and respect indigenous communities,” Samphors said.
Blen Romam, an indigenous Jarai from Ratanakiri province, said the initiative is crucial for the Jarai people, noting that many young Jarai are increasingly influenced to use the national language rather than their mother tongue.
More Dedicated Funding Is Needed
Romam, who is also president of the Cambodia Indigenous Youth Association, said the availability of textbooks in the Jarai language alongside Khmer could inspire young people to preserve both their mother tongue and the national language.
However, Romam expressed hope that the program would receive more financial support and involve more Jarai teachers.
“There is a limited budget to implement the initiative, so I hope the government, organizations or partner institutions can provide more financial support to expand it to more target villages or schools serving indigenous peoples,” he said.
“Meanwhile, I hope to see more Jarai teachers, as they would find it easier to teach students. The pronunciation of the Jarai language is difficult, so it would be more effective if Jarai people themselves teach it.”
This article was originally published by Cambodianess.
