National Education Policy 2020: An Emphasis on Teaching in Mother Tongue
The new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, recently announced, prioritizes teaching in the mother tongue, especially in primary classes. Despite the numerous challenges posed by the linguistic diversity of tribal communities, Odisha’s decade-long venture into multilingual education can provide useful insights and approaches to implementing the policy.
‘Samhati’: A Project to Address Tribal Language Challenges
The Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes Development Department of the Odisha government has initiated a project named ‘Samhati’. The core objective of this project is to tackle the language hurdles encountered by tribal students in their early grades or elementary classes. Under ‘Samhati’, the department aims to reach approximately 250,000 students across 1,450 primary schools in the state.
Implementing Agencies
The execution of the project is a joint effort between the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) in conjunction with the Academy of Tribal Language and Culture (ATLC), located in Bhubaneswar.
Multilingual Learning Approach
An integral part of the ‘Samhati’ project incorporates imparting primary level teachers with functional knowledge relating to tribal languages. This includes methods to effectively communicate with tribal students. A staggering variety exists within Odisha’s tribal communities, recognized by 21 spoken languages. Of these, Santhali has the distinction of being the only one included in the Constitution’s eighth schedule. It utilizes its unique script – ol chiki, while the rest primarily rely on Odia scripts. Tribal languages such as Santali, Ho, Soura, Munda, and Kui boast written scripts, making them stand out in the multilingual group of students compared to the monolingual groups found in regular schools.
Paving the Way Forward
For a tribal student, their language serves as the lens to perceive the world. The introduction of mother-tongue-based education is a major step forward. Numerous civil society organizations in Odisha, including the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), have exhibited promising MTBMLE education system models. For these tribal languages to serve as mediums of instruction in primary schools, they need standardization. Moreover, there’s a necessity to create textbooks in tribal languages, tuned to the state board syllabus, government textbook norms, and National Education Policy requisites. By taking such action, we can ensure a more inclusive and effective educational experience for tribal students.
Note: The primary source for information contained in this article is The Hindu.
Last Modified: February 13, 2024