S A K S H I M A N O C H A J A W A H A R L A L N E H R U U N I V E R S I T Y

I N D I A

A COMPARISON OF SCHOOLING EXPERIENCES OF SAORA CHILDREN IN

MLE PLUS AND ODIYA MEDIUM SCHOOLS OF ODISHA

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

MULTILINGUAL RUBRIC OF INDIA

3372 MOTHER TONGUES (1576 listed, 1796 as ‘other’ languages) 22+1 OFFICIAL LANGUAGES 80% of the Indian languages (most of them being tribal) are excluded from the mainstream society.

CONSEQUENCES OF EXCLUSION OF LANGUAGES

• Poor education performance

• High rates of ‘Push-out’

• Capability deprivation and poverty

• Loss of Diversity (Mohanty, 2008; Tove & Skutnabb-Kangas 2000).

MOTHER TONGUE BASED MLE PROGRAMME IN INDIA

MLE DEFINITION: “Use of two or more languages as media of instruction in subjects other than the languages themselves and with (high levels of) multilingualism and, preferable, multiliteracy, as a goal at the end of formal schooling”. (Mohanty, Panda, Phillipson & Skutnabb-Kangas, 2009)

MLE programme was initiated on pilot basis in Andhra Pradesh in 2003 and in Odisha in 2006.

MLE AND MLE PLUS PROGRAMME

MLE PROGRAMME: It is a mother tongue based Multilingual Education programme based on Jim Cummins BICS and CALP.

MLE PLUS PROGRAMME: MLE Plus programme was

initiated with the aim to strengthen the existing MLE practices in the classrooms with the theoretical grounding of Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) approach of Vygotsky. (See Panda and Mohanty, 2009)

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

To examine the role of mother tongue and children’s cultural practices in determining the quality of experiences of schooling among Saora children studying in MLE Plus and Odia Medium schools. To study the nature of student-teacher

relationship in MLE Plus and Odia Medium school.

METHOD

CULTURAL HISTORICAL ACTIVITY THEORY (CHAT) by Engestrom (1987) formed the theoretical basis of

this study. SAMPLE FOR THE SUDY • 1 MLE Plus school in Gajapati District of Odisha • 1 Odia medium school in Gajapati District of Odisha • 8 students from 3rd standard from each school were

selected respectively, parents of students and teachers were also participants in the study.

CONTINUED…

Data was gathered using the three general methods common in Qualitative research: interviews, observations and focused group discussions. Method of Analysis - Content Analysis

FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

1. Saora language and culture not a part but the essence of MLE plus classroom

2. No room for Saora language and culture in Odia medium schools.

CHILDREN ENJOY HAVING THEIR LANGUAGE, GAMES AND SONGS IN

SCHOOL

“I like language class, because, in this subject we read our stories and sing our songs. I enjoy them a lot.”- Student, MLE Plus school

SAORA CHILDREN FEELING ALIENATED IN ODIA-MEDIUM SCHOOL

“Our teacher doesn’t teach us in Saora and as we don’t know Oriya, I find it difficult to understand what all he teaches in class.”- Student, Odia Medium school.

MLE PLUS TEACHERS USING CULTURAL TOOLS TO ESTABLISH A LINK BETWEEN EVERYDAY AND

ACDEMIC KNOWLEDGE

Example: Using local measuring system to teach children about universal measuring system. “My favourite subject is maths because I like the way sir teaches addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with the help of our games and our songs.” - Student, MLE Plus school.

LIMITED USED OF CHILD’S SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT IN ODIA MEDIUM

SCHOOLS

“I am concerned that because MLE programs are emphasising too much on use of Saora in schools, how will children progress with Saora language? It will only confine them. Though I agree if we have Saora teachers it is good but teaching in Saora language is not recommended by me.” - Teacher, Odia medium School. children felt alienated and were unable to see any connection between their everyday knowledge and academic knowledge.

2. STUDENT-TEACHER RELATIONSHIP

CMW a bridge between school and community Sharing a bond with the children “As Saora Children cannot understand dominant

languages teaching them in MT facilitates better learning and growth of these children. Not only this, MLE program also strengthens the bond between teacher and student and improve our relationship …

As Tribal children are shy & afraid, when I teach them

in Saora language, sing our songs, children feel connected to it and thus our relationship improves with them. Children become more confident and participate in class.”- MLE Plus teacher, Tumulo Village.

BREAKING THE HIERARCHICAL RELATIONSHIP

Unlike Odiya medium teachers who

act as directors or managers, whose role is to maintain order in class and transfer the technical skills without engaging with children in pedagogic practices. MLE Plus Teachers engage children in various activities and encouraged them to participate in academic discourses.

Normative rules for both the schools were also different – e.g. need to seek permission before going to the washroom etc.

FEARLESS VOICES IN MLE PLUS SCHOOL

“Initially, I was afraid of coming to school but because our teacher is so warm and friendly and he teaches us in Saora, I felt much better and now I enjoy coming to school. I like to read, write and playing with my friends in school.” – student, MLE Plus school. Children in MLE Plus school actively participate in classroom discourses, whereas participation in MLE classroom was passive.

Do not take knowledge as filtered by teachers and voice their opinions.

CULTURE OF SILENCE IN ODIYA MEDIUM SCHOOLS

CONTINUED…

• Children wanted to avoid teacher’s question and attention.

• Children remained tight

lipped in class room. • Took knowledge as filtered

down by the teacher. • Felt threatened in teacher’s

presence.

PARTICIPATION IN EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

In MLE Plus School, children actively participate in various activities like debate, singing, drawing and sports competition.

“if we had kept these competitions in Oriya then none of the children would have participated. Because children speak in Saora well, sing their songs, they actively participated in these activities.”- MLE PLUS TEACHER

Children in MLE Plus schools could narrate their experiences, articulate their thoughts, speak about their culture with pride

CONTINUED…..

Children in Odiya medium schools were hesitant to narrate their schooling experiences, were scared to talk about their culture and could not express their thoughts and feelings in Odia.

“No, I don’t know any poem or song not even in Saora. Our teacher doesn’t teach us any poem or song, so I don’t know.”- student, Odiya medium School.

ISSUES OF CONCERNS

The issue of language and power, and low self-concept of Saora people created contradictions in the schooling experience of children leading to inner tensions.

Other factors such as low participation of

Saora parents in education of their children, lack of good teachers, infrastructural problems also created impediments in the learning experiences of children.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study showed that bringing Cultural tools like children’s language, folktales, songs and games to school and linking it to academic concepts not only enhanced children’s participation, engagement in academic discourses and learning but also created space for children to fearlessly express themselves and strengthen their bond with their teachers and community.

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