JKBOSE Launches First-Ever Shina Textbooks for Classes 1And 2, Preserving J&K's Linguistic Heritage

In a historic step to meet long-standing demands and preserve regional languages, the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) launched its first-ever Shina language textbooks for Classes I and II.

This initiative aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) 2022, which promote mother-tongue instruction, multilingualism, and culturally rooted learning from the foundational stage.

The textbooks have already been distributed to ensuring timely availability for classroom use after the winter vaccations in the Kashmir valley.

Preserving Linguistic Heritage

The launch of Shina textbooks represents a key milestone in JKBOSE's ongoing push to integrate indigenous languages into the school curriculum. Learning in the mother tongue at foundational levels boosts foundational literacy, cognitive growth, and cultural ties for Shina-speaking students.

This fosters early skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in their native language. The step is a major push towards the government’s efforts towards teaching and learning in the mother tounge.

To get the Shina language in academics, the textbook development committee, headed by Masood A. Samoon and Prof. Musavir Ahmad, Department of Linguistics, University of Kashmir, led dedicated efforts of meticulous review of the textbooks, ensuring academic rigor and linguistic authenticity.

Reviving Shina Legacy: Empowering Linguistic Roots

The Shina-speaking community is primarily based in Gurez, parts of Kashmir, and the Drass area of Ladakh. Shina is a prominent language in the Gilgit-Baltistan areas of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), linking Indian speakers to a shared cross-border heritage, heightening cultural pride in its preservation.

The Shina-speaking community felt a sense of pride and empowerment with this initiative by JKBOSE. Community says the initiative provides a strategic sense of affirmation for a community that has long felt its language was at risk of disappearing.

The revival of the Shina language is majorly credited to the younger generations who are increasingly using social media and music to express their Shina identity and taking pride in their linguistic heritage, fostering a renewed sense of belonging and cultural visibility.

The new textbooks focus on foundational literacy, specifically listening, speaking, early reading, and writing, using activity oriented and child centric methods.

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