Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 9: Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), Bhubaneswar has won the prestigious UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize 2022 for its outstanding literacy programme based on the recommendations of an international jury.
The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize is sponsored by the Government of the Republic of Korea and recognizes contributions to mother language-based literacy development. KISS has received the award in the category of ‘Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education’ programme’.
The prize carries an endowment of US$ 20,000, a medal and a diploma, informed Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT & KISS in a press get-together here in Bhubaneswar adding the award has come as a national and state pride.
“I thank UNESCO for recognizing our efforts and social innovations in the field of education, literacy and indigenous empowerment. In my childhood, I struggled to get proper education and now I put all my life to provide holistic education to millions at margins as I have realised that education can only make a child complete to take on the challenges of life,” Dr. Samanta said addressing the media today.
KISS Vice Chancellor Prof Deepak Kumar Behera, a well-known anthropologist, said, “the multi-lingual lab was one of the recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020, but it has been implemented at our institution long ago. We have also published an illustrated dictionary to help the indigenous children and their teachers to manage the linguistic challenges during the learning process.”
“Our education model at KISS, however, being holistic and inclusive in all aspects also ensures to respect the individual cultural identity of each indigenous community members,” the VC added.
CEO and Registrar of KISS Dr Prashant Kumar Routray observed that KISS always ensures sync between the house language and school language through the multi-lingual lab and having student-centric curriculum and keeping the comfort of a homely atmosphere for the indigenous kid.
He also informed that the model of language learning at KISS has now been adopted by the Centre and State Government as the institution has got 35 master trainers and 150 teachers associated with the multi-lingual lab.
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