This document discusses a case study on the education rights of the Rakhine indigenous tribe in Bangladesh. It finds that Rakhine children have limited access to education in their mother tongue, which is contributing to high dropout rates. While international conventions protect indigenous language and education rights, Bangladesh's constitution and policies have not adequately supported mother-tongue based education for ethnic minorities like the Rakhine. The document recommends that the government increase funding to develop textbooks and teachers training to establish a multilingual education system that incorporates the Rakhine language. This would help Rakhine children get a stronger foundation in school and reduce educational inequities as promised in the country's commitments to universal education.

1. Indigenous Education Right: A Case Study on Rakhine Tribe 1
Indigenous Education Right: A Case Study on Rakhine
Tribe under Patuakhali District (Kuakata)
Survey is conducted by the Students of English Discipline, Khulna University
as a Part of Indigenous Studies
funded by English Discipline, Khulna University, Bangladesh.
9 November, 2017

2. Indigenous Education Right: A Case Study on Rakhine Tribe 2
Prepared by
Sheikh Saifullah Ahmed
Student Id-141410
Introduction:
Education is measured as one of the basic constitutional rights for any Bangladeshi.
Indigenous education right signifies to the system of preserving their rights related to their
education through their respective mother tongues. Constitution of Bangladesh and other
national and international organizations such as the Universal Declaration of Human Right
(UDHR), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), International Convention on
the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), Convention Elimination of
all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Child Rights Convention (CRC) and
International Labor Organization (ILO) 107 ensure to preserve indigenous education rights
related to their mother tongue, along with their own distinctive cultures, heritages, languages,
customs, rituals, norms and beliefs.
The Rakhine are a small community of Bangladesh. The Rakhine community
inhabiting in the coastal areas of Patuakhali, Borguna and Cox's Bazaar migrated to
Bangladesh from Myanmar. Originally, they are Rakhine nationality (also known as
Arakanese) from the Rakhine State or Arakan which is now part of Myanmar. Total
population of Arakanese (Rakhine) is 2,346,000. Among them, 207,000 are residing in
Bangladesh. (Banglapedia, 2007).
Report Objectives and Methods:
However, in this paper (report) I have tried to show what the major issues are for
implementing the program of proper education system in Bangladesh for the Rakhine people
and how the mentioned issues can be solved with some effective measures. I have used the
Constitution (1972) and National Education Policy (2010) of Bangladesh, along with some
influential international conventions (UDHR, ICESCR, ICCPR, CRC, ILO-107, ILO-169) as
my secondary data source and the information provided by the selected people of Rakhine
Tribe under Patuakhali District as my primary data source.
International conventions regarding Indigenous Language and Education:

3. Indigenous Education Right: A Case Study on Rakhine Tribe 3
Article 14 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states
“Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and
institutions providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their
cultural methods of teaching and learning.” “The Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention,
1989” of ILO-169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples ensures the mother tongue
based education system for the indigenous people of the independent countries as it is stated
in its “Part VI – “Education and the Means of Communication”. The convention states:
In Article 26: measures shall be taken to ensure the opportunity to acquire education
at all levels for the indigenous people and to preserve and promote the development and
practice of the indigenous languages. In Article 27: governments shall establish their own
educational institutions, create facilities, and shall meet minimum standards forming the
competent authority, and providing appropriate resources for this purpose. In Article 28:
children shall be taught to read and write in their own indigenous language or in the language
most commonly used by the group to which they belong and adequate measures shall be
taken to ensure the opportunity to attain fluency in the national language or the state’s official
language. In Article 31: the state shall preserve the indigenous cultures and histories by
means of written translations and those who are in most direct contact with the peoples, with
the objective of eliminating prejudices and biases, shall help to ensure that the textbooks and
the other educational materials provide a fair, accurate and informative portrayal of the
histories and cultures of these peoples.
The Condition of the Rakhine’s Mother Tongue Based Education in Bangladesh:
However, In Bangladesh, most of the children (students), especially the Rakhine are
deprived of by a biased education system that does not recognize their language and culture.
They are taught in Bengali, an only constitutionally approved “state language of Bangladesh”
as it is stated in the Constitution of Bangladesh at “Article-3”. Therefore,the Rakhine students
cannot comprehend the language and also cannot incorporate with what they are taught.
Many of them quickly lose interest in school and leave their education forever.
Most of the Bangladeshi indigenous communities have their own language. Some
have their alphabet too. However, day-by-day these languages are becoming extinct. A study
conducted by BRAC shows that more than 31.9% ethnic peoples do not think to study in their
mother language. Dr. Muhammad Rafi, the lead researcher of the study titled as “Small

4. Indigenous Education Right: A Case Study on Rakhine Tribe 4
Ethnic Groups of Bangladesh; A Mapping Exercise”, thinks that ignorance of the government
and pressure of another culture have made the situation.
The pressure is so high among the Rakhine people that some mothers dare not teach
their children in their mother tongue, rather they think that it will be better for their security
to mix up with the mainstreams’ language and culture.
A first-year honor’s student Memeta Talukdar has told that they are not taught at their
mother tongue at their school and she says, “our schools do not teach us with our mother
tongue, we have to learn our mother tongue in our home and Pagoda. We should make group
of our educated people along with the conscious members of civil society to come forward to
protesting this discrimination.” Afru Mojumder, a second-year H.S.C student has pointed out
the same issues.
Source: With Memeta Talukdar at Kuakata in Patuakhali District.

5. Indigenous Education Right: A Case Study on Rakhine Tribe 5
Source: With Afru Mojumder at Kuakata in Patuakhali District.
Therefore, the literacy rates of the Rakhine people are falling at an alarming rate in
Bangladesh due to a dominant monolingual language policy. The hegemonic linguistic policy
does not recognize any ethnic language except Bengali, the national language. Neither the
Constitution nor any Bangladeshi law specifically recognizes the Rakhine people and their
right to education in their mother tongue (Oxfam, 2006, p. 18).
When the Rakhine students will start their education in their respective mother
tongues, they will develop a strong foundation in that language and the foundation will help
them to learn Bangla as well. A survey (Benson, 2006) has shown that education in mother
tongue increases the enrollment and attendance of Adivasi students. This strong foundation in
the mother language provides a good bridge to learning a second language, Bangla more
effectively (Malone, 2005). A Rakhine parent says, “mother tongue based pre-school brought
a lot of changes to my child. He is now very attentive to his lesson.” (Rahman, 2010).
Therefore, the Constitution (Article 15 and 17) of Bangladesh refers to free and
compulsory education and directs the State to adopt effective measures for the purpose of
establishing a uniform, mass-oriented and universal system of education and extending free
and compulsory education to all. Following the Constitution, The Government of Bangladesh
has committed itself to achieving Education for All (EFA) by 2015 and ensuring the Rights

6. Indigenous Education Right: A Case Study on Rakhine Tribe 6
of the Child (UN CRC, 1989). The link between the education in mother tongue and
achieving EFA has been made by the World Bank, UNICEF and UNESCO. Mother
Language in Education (MLE) will enable the Government of Bangladesh to achieve its goals
under EFA (Education for All) project.
On 10 June 2015, a national seminar titled with “Introducing Mother-Tongue Based
Primary Education for Indigenous Children: Present Perspective and Way Forward”
organized by Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum, declared that Education in mother
tongue is a must as it connects a child with his/her culture and literature and aids in forming
his/her intellectual identity. It can help them to achieve higher education. The seminar
discussed that initially the education would be provided in five languages including that of
the Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Sardi and Garo though it is not possible to provide capable and
efficient indigenous teachers to teach the students in their mother tongue. It requested to
Multi-lingual Education (MLE) Forum to create pressure on the government to take steps in
this regard immediately. It also declared that education is one of the basic rights which is
recognized by the Constitution.
Recommendations and Conclusion:
This report suggests that the mentioned issues need to be addressed by the state.
Therefore, the students at primary, secondary and tertiary levels need a multilingual/bilingual
linguistic facility. There is the necessity of specific education planning to provide textbooks
in their mother tongues. A strong foundation in the mother language provides a good bridge
to learning a second language effectively. It enables the learners to achieve competence and
confidence. The Rakhine learners will be able to read and write their mother tongue and
Bengali language fluently. Simultaneously the learners will understand their own ethnic
culture as well as Bengali culture and community.
It will be possible to reduce drop-out problem, If the textbooks on the Rakhine
language are provided at least up to secondary levels along with lessening financial and
accommodation problems, the Rakhine children will be greatly benefitted. The fund should
be generated to publish the books in their mother tongue.
In 1971 the people of Bangladesh won independence in which the language
movement (1952) has played the role of a catalyst to snatch the freedom of land. Many

7. Indigenous Education Right: A Case Study on Rakhine Tribe 7
Adivasi fought in the war. Since the war of independence, none has questioned Adivasi
Bangladeshis’ right to education in their mother tongue.
Therefore, Adivasi Bangladeshi children cannot enjoy the right to education in their
mother tongue/language. Whereas, Bengali Bangladeshi children attend school in their
mother tongue, Bangla. The vast number of Adivasi children must enter the schools and learn
in a language that they do not know or understand.
Though the initiatives for multilingual primary education for the Rakhine children
are going forward according to the Education Policy 2010, the progress of this initiative is
very slow. Although it started in 2012, the pre-primary education books in their language
have not been published yet in 2015 and also the education budget has decreased 1% in 2016
than the previous year budget (Bangladesh Economic Review 2016).
The budget should be increased to secure education for all and to ensure the Rakhine
peoples’ rights to education through their respective mother tongue..

8. Indigenous Education Right: A Case Study on Rakhine Tribe 8
References
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9. Indigenous Education Right: A Case Study on Rakhine Tribe 9
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