Odisha to teach indigenous culture and knowledge along with languages to tribal children

Odisha is often ahead of the game in comparison with other states when it comes to Multilingual Education. That is no surprise, given the heavy investment in that state by people like Prof D. P. Pattanayak, Prof Ajit Mohanty, and Dr Mahendra Mishra! It is good to note that, in the latest initiative, attention is given not only  to the language, but also to the relevance of the content for the children.

The New Indian Express reports that tribal children in Odisha will be taught their indigenous knowledge systems such as their indigenous rituals, cropping methods, and much more along with their mother tongue. The multilingual approach will include their indigenous language along with the state language, Odia. These two initiatives come from the  Scheduled Caste & Scheduled Tribe  Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare department under the guidance of the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020. 

P. Patel from the  Academy of Tribal Languages and Culture (ATLC) under the department expresses his concern that the education system may have undermined the culture and knowledge embodied  in tribal languages and, as a result, the indigenous children have now lost their cultural heritage. As per the direction of the NEP, the students will now learn about their indigenous knowledge systems such as shifting cultivation, the indigenous counting system, and tribal rituals, reuniting them with their tribal identity according to P. Patel. 

The primers of 21 tribal languages are being revised and have already been disseminated in Desia, Koya, Kuvi, Saura, Munda, Sadri, and the Gondi languages. For  classes I to III, these primers are in environmental science and mathematics and language. For the classes IV and V, the language subjects taught will be Odia and the tribal language.(The New Indian Express Report)

An article from  UNESCO’s Courier (2019) talks about the inextricable link between the language and the knowledge systems of the indigenous people. The article states how the indigenous languages are a reservoir of the indigenous knowledge systems and culture. This knowledge system is further derived from their local environment which they depend on as well as preserve. Therefore  the effort to teach indigenous knowledge and culture along with the mother tongue  in Odisha is a holistic approach to Multilingual Education and tribal development. 

Regards,

Karsten in collaboration with Upasana Lepcha

Resources:

1. Odisha's tribal children to learn indigenous culture systems 

2. Odisha's tribal kids to be taught their local culture and science in schools 

3. Indigenous languages: Knowledge and hope 

4. Photo Credit: https://www.Odishatourism.org/odisha-tribes/