How communities, classrooms, and cultural confidence can together revive Kashmiri as a language of learning and identity
Shoiab Mohmmad Bhat
Kashmiri is more than a means of communication; it is a living archive of centuries of history, culture, literature, and collective memory. It carries the stories of generations through poetry, folklore, idioms, and everyday speech. For many, it remains the language of emotion, belonging, and identity. Yet its near absence from classrooms reveals a growing distance between the language spoken in homes and the language valued within formal education. When students are given academic choices, the mother tongue often stands at the margins.
This concern becomes sharper when recent figures are examined. Out of approximately 94,000 students who appeared in the Class 10 examinations, only 64 opted for Kashmiri as an additional subject. Such a small number highlights a serious imbalance within the education system. A language spoken by lakhs struggles to attract even a minimal presence in formal learning. This reality suggests that deeper cultural, social, and educational factors, rather than individual student preferences alone.
Kashmiri continues to exist strongly in daily life. It is spoken in homes, markets, and communities, and it remains deeply embedded in cultural traditions. Even so, survival in informal spaces does not automatically translate into academic strength. Educational institutions play a decisive role in shaping the status of a language. When a language receives limited attention in classrooms, examinations, and academic discourse, students gradually associate learning and success with subjects that enjoy stronger institutional support.
Institutional factors significantly shape student choices. Although Kashmiri is included in the curriculum, sometimes structural development in this area may be lacking. Schools have a natural tendency to focus on more developed fields of education because they have proper systems in place for their instruction. The shortage of qualified Kashmiri teachers further weakens the subject’s academic appeal.Strengthening teacher training and ensuring the availability of skilled educators are essential for restoring student interest.
Learning resources are another area in which improvement can be made. Modern and updated textbooks aligned with contemporary pedagogical methods remain scarce, and digital content is still at a developmental stage. With the rapid integration of technology in education, the development of more online material in Kashmiri can benefit teachers and students alike. Investing in both teaching staff and learning tools cansignificantly improve the subject’sacademic standing.
Assessment practices form another important dimension. Even in schools where Kashmiri is taught, examinations and evaluations often do not receive the same academic seriousness as other subjects. Assessment sometimes appears procedural, which unintentionally signals to students that the subject carries less academic weight. Giving Kashmiri equal importance in evaluation and assessment can help restore confidence and reinforce its academic value.
The effects of these trends are visible among the present generation, often referred to as Gen Z. Many students struggle with reading and writing skills in both Urdu and Kashmiri, even though they speak these languages fluently at home. This gap highlights the need for stronger foundational language education rather than reduced exposure to the mother tongue during early learning stages.
“To ensure the survival of Kashmiri, it must be integrated into modern education through institutional support, policy changes, and digital resources. By restoring its status in schools, we preserve centuries of cultural wisdom and maintain its role as a language of dignity and knowledge.”
Social perception also plays a powerful role, often beginning within families themselves. From the moment a child is born into a Kashmiri household, parents frequently speak in Urdu or English. Using Kashmiri with children sometimes brings hesitation, shaped by fear of social judgment. Language becomes linked to status, and Kashmiri is occasionally viewed as less prestigious. Parents worry about how society may perceive them, fearing that speaking Kashmiri might be associated with a lack of education. Over time, children internalize these attitudes, associating confidence and success with other languages while their mother tongue gradually loses space at home and in school.
Classroom experience provides important insight into this issue. As a teacher of Social Science, Urdu, and Kashmiri. I have consistently used the mother tongue to explain concepts. While this approach may not suit every context, it has produced encouraging results. Students show better comprehension, improved academic performance, and increased interest when learning begins in a language they understand deeply.
Concepts will be understood better when they are connected to the mother tongue. Kashmiri in the classroom will help fill the understanding gap, especially among students reluctant to interact in English or Urdu. Experience suggests that confidence in one’s mother tongue helps in learning more than one language rather than hindering the process. It seems the current generation will move further ahead in innovation, technology, and even coding, as their ability to be multilingual will be strengthened with clarity in understanding being developed from the early years.
These points largely resonate with thecomponentsof the National Education Policy(NEP) and its vision. The policy emphasizes the use of the ‘mother tongue or regional language’ as a medium of instruction, particularly during foundational years. It recognises that learners understand concepts best in their own languages and that a strong grounding in one’s own language supports multilingual proficiency. NEP also highlighted the importance of qualified teachers, authentic assessment and regional language in the digital platform.
The long-term consequences of continued decline deserve serious reflection. When fewer students study Kashmiri formally, the number of future teachers reduces. Research, literary production, and academic engagement weaken. Cultural transmission becomes fragmented, relying mainly on informal practices rather than structured learning. Over time, the language risks losing its presence in intellectual and academic spaces.
The fact that only 64 students chose Kashmiri serves as a strong reminder of the work that lies ahead. Preserving a mother tongue requires continuous, sustained institutional support, proper assessment, and renewed social confidence. Curriculum development and digital resources in education and language policies can help restore Kashmiri’s educational relevance. A language that has sustained itself through centuries of transformations carries the experience and wisdom of each passing age. Ensuring its place in schools will allow it to remain a language of knowledge, dignity, and pride in the years to come.
(The author is a freelancer. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
