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Daily Express
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Express
Proposal to expand teaching of Kadazandusun subject
Published on: Monday, June 16, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jun 16, 2025 By: Malay Mail Text Size: Ewon said the four major ethnic languages proposed are the Tatana language in Kuala Penyu, Kadazan Tangaa in Penampang, Murut Timugon in Tenom and Dusun Lotud in Tuaran. — Picture via Facebook/Ewon Benedick Official Media PENAMPANG: A proposal to expand the teaching of the Kadazandusun language subject in schools to include four other ethnic languages in Sabah has been submitted to the Federal Government for consideration, said Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick. He said the four major ethnic languages proposed are the Tatana language in Kuala Penyu, Kadazan Tangaa in Penampang, Murut Timugon in Tenom and Dusun Lotud in Tuaran. Advertisement The United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) President said he, along with a delegation from Sabah, had held discussions with Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek and the Ministry of Education delegation last year. 'Yang Berhormat Fadhlina subsequently agreed for a special committee under the Ministry of Education to be established to study this proposal. I will continue to follow up on all efforts to realise this initiative. 'Up to now, the Kadazandusun language subject in schools has been based solely on the Bunduliwan Dusun dialect,' he said in a statement after officiating the Odou do Kaamatan celebration at Kampung Mahandoi, here, Sunday. Ewon said efforts to strengthen the ethnic language curriculum are ongoing initiatives involving various parties, including the Kadazandusun Language Foundation (KLF), the Momogun National Congress (MNC) and the Sabah Ethnic Languages Association. He said his Ministry is also supporting the effort through the allocation of special funding to four ethnic language associations for the development of modules, workbooks and textbooks. 'The teaching of these four Sabah ethnic languages can be implemented on a pilot basis in selected schools. For example, in Kuala Penyu, teaching the Tatana language would be more appropriate compared to using the Bunduliwan dialect,' he said. According to Ewon, Sabah could emulate the implementation of ethnic language education in government schools in Sarawak, which has piloted the teaching of the Iban and Bidayuh languages. 'Efforts in this direction are underway. A delegation from Sabah has also visited schools in Sarawak to observe first-hand the implementation of Bidayuh language teaching, in addition to the Iban language,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Borneo Post
a day ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Sabah proposes teaching four more ethnic dialects in schools
Ewon exchanging greetings with those attending the celebration. PENAMPANG (June 15): The proposal to expand the teaching of the Kadazandusun language subject in schools to include four other ethnic dialects in Sabah has been brought to the Federal Government, said United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) president Datuk Ewon Benedick. He said the effort to strengthen the ethnic language curriculum is an ongoing initiative by various parties, including the Kadazandusun Language Foundation (KLF), Momogun National Congress (MNC) and the Sabah Ethnic Language Association. 'Until now, the Kadazandusun language subject in schools has been based solely on the Dusun Bunduliwan dialect, as agreed in the pact between KDCA and USDA. 'After I became a member of the Federal Cabinet, I received proposals from several ethnic associations in Sabah, as well as Kadazandusun language teachers in Penampang, Tuaran, Kuala Penyu and Tenom. Together with a Sabah delegation, I held discussions with the Minister of Education, Fadhlina Sidek, last year, alongside representatives from the Ministry of Education. 'We submitted a proposal to expand the curriculum to cover four additional major ethnic dialects, Tatana in Kuala Penyu, Kadazan Tangaa in Penampang, Murut Timugon in Tenom and Dusun Lotud in Tuaran. 'Fadhlina agreed to the formation of a special committee under the Ministry of Education to study the proposal. I will continue to follow up on all efforts to ensure its success,' he said. Ewon said this in his speech when officiating the Odou do Kaamatan celebration in Kampung Mahandoi, organised by UPKO Beaufort with the Kuala Penyu community working, doing business and residing in Kota Kinabalu. Ewon, who is also the Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, said that efforts to strengthen the teaching of ethnic languages in government schools will continue through the expansion of the current Kadazandusun curriculum to include the development of modules for four other ethnic dialects, Tatana, Kadazan Tangaa, Murut Timogun and Dusun Lotud. He said his ministry is also supporting the initiative by channelling special allocations to the four ethnic language associations for the development of learning modules, workbooks and textbooks. Ewon stated that it is his responsibility to be part of the effort to empower the teaching of ethnic languages in schools. 'That's why last year I ensured funding support was provided to the four ethnic associations, namely the Tatana, Murut Timogun, Lotud Tuaran, and Kadazan Penampang which manage these languages, to help them develop curriculum modules and workbooks as an initial step toward enabling these four ethnic languages to be taught in schools alongside the existing Kadazandusun subject,' he said. He added that the teaching of the four ethnic languages can be piloted in selected schools within the respective districts. 'For example, in Kuala Penyu, teaching the Tatana dialect would be more appropriate than using the Bunduliwan dialect, taking into account the views of parents and teachers in the district, most of whom are of Tatana ethnicity,' he explained. He also expressed confidence that Sabah could follow the model of teaching ethnic languages in government schools as done in Sarawak, where Iban is taught as a subject like Kadazandusun in Sabah and the teaching of Bidayuh has also begun on a pilot basis. 'Efforts in this direction are already underway. A delegation from Sabah has visited schools in Sarawak to observe the implementation of Bidayuh dialect teaching as a complement to the Iban language,' he said. Meanwhile, Ewon stressed the importance of preserving cultural practices such as the Kaamatan celebration, which must be upheld as a symbol of unity. 'Kaamatan is now not only celebrated by the Momogun community in Sabah but is also observed by our people abroad. This celebration reflects our ethnic identity and unity across ethnicities and religions. 'As a minister and president of UPKO, I will continue to focus on the development of culture and ethnic languages, including Tatana, to ensure they are inherited by future generations,' he said.
