Ranchi, March 31: A school in Gumla has been running with the philosophy of linking the native tongue with the Queen’s language.

Inculcating in students love for forests, rivers and wildlife is the focus of education here, and preservation of tribal languages and culture is the goal of the school.

The medium of instruction at the institution is either in English or in Kuduk — the language of the Oraons.

The school is christened Noor Edpa, a Kuduk term for house of knowledge, and is situated in Loordipa, a forest village of Chainpur block in Gumla district.

It has over 500 students who talk only in Kuduk and English.

Hindi is alien to these students as languages other than Kuduk and English are not permitted to be spoken on the school premises.

Founded by a group of tribal social leaders in 2000 in collaboration with the villagers, the school also teaches the students agriculture, fishery, animal husbandry and forestry.

“In today’s global era forests, rivers, hills, wildlife, tribal languages and cultures are at stake. Noor Edpa is a philosophy to preserve these essential things,” said Etwa Oraon, one of the founders.

Oraon, who is a Catholic priest and a teacher in Sacred Heart College, Shillong, came up with the idea of starting such a school.

Along with a few friends, including senior IAS officer Vinod Kispotta and social leaders Joy Baxla and Ratan Tirkey, Oraon started the school in Gumla.

The villagers pooled together their resources to start the school. Later, Oraon and other founders mobilised resources from various quarters to keep it running.

“The villagers are with us on our mission,” said Baxla.

The students understand the responsibility that is being reposed on them, and have taken it seriously.

“I have been told by my teachers that ours is a school with a distinct goal. I feel lucky to be a part of this dream project,” said Ajit Korwa, a tribal boy studying in Class V at Noor Edpa.

The management of the institution has applied to Jharkhand Academic Council for affiliation.

Though Noor Edpa is different from other schools in terms of the educatio- nal format, the subjects taught in other educational institutions are taught here too — the only difference being the medium and the focus of education.

“We are hopeful of producing a different group of educated tribal youths, who would be linked locally with their own tribal language and connected globally with English,” said Baxla.