Primary schools in Chitral set to start Khowar classes
CHITRAL, March 9: the Khowar language of Chitral has been included in the first grade syllabus of primary class from the coming academic session starting next month.
For this purpose, a curriculum has also been developed and textbooks printed with the help of local writers.
The president of Anjuman Taraqi-e- Khowar, Naqeebullah Razi, while talking to this correspondent said The PKP Textbook Board and the directorate of curriculum development had made hectic efforts and made it possible for the starting of the Khowar classes in a short span of six months. He said local writers and teachers were included in the series of consultative workshops held in Chitral, Peshawar and Abbottabad and the local culture, traditions and environment had been fully depicted in the rudimentary book.
He said that Khowar was a fully-fledged language and at par with any regional language and the new development would lead to further development of the language in organized manner apart from giving the children a chance to learn the basic education in their mother tongue. Mr. Razi said that textbooks will be developed in different phases for different classes up to the middle and secondary levels.
He said that the longstanding demand and wishes of the people of Chitral had been fulfilled with the compilation of the curriculum in Khowar. The credit for this goes to the provincial government which evinced a keen interest and earnestness in it. He said that separate teachers may be appointed to teach Khowar in the primary level.–Zahiruddin]]>
Dear Mr. Tariq!
You have raised some important issues about Khowar’s future in the age of computer and internet. We are facing many more issues like that. One big problem is that most of the Khowar writers are not ready to accept the role of computer in the development of Khowar language. Small efforts are underway to make thing go easy. Please keep thinking and making whatever contribution you can.
This is indeed a great news and big day for Khowar. Will you please add a higher resolution image in your gallery and add its link here for those who want to see it [something like; http://www.mahraka.com/pdf/khowar%20alphabet.pdf%5D
While teaching Khowar at primary is welcome move still there is issue of shape for additional characters. I do not know how these will be of any use on mobile devices [leave aside if any Mobile manufacturer will implement that] and how serious it would be for some one to mis-read them for Urdu character of similar shape. Any one aware of any study done on this?
I think it is “wrong ” to base the language on only one font and not to have its support at Operating System level [Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD and Unix] unless this is done Khowar will always be at disadvantage.
Some may not like it but it is in the interest of Khowar to have its six additional characters included in Urdu code page. I know I am opening a Pandora’s box [someone has to do that]. If this usability issue is not solved now when these kids will enter active life I doubt they will have devices which will support Khowar rendering/display out of the box.
If Khowar is not available by default then do not blame kids for not using Khowar for communication.
There is simple reason over which Govt of KPK have no control and that is market size. Very few manufacturers would be interested in niche market of Khowar speakers, and support for Khowar may be missing like now.