Multilingual Classrooms in Odisha

[Audio] Multilingual Classrooms in Odisha Mother tongue-based multilingual education is a well-established strategy to address the high dropout rates and poor educational performances of schoolchildren in the tribal regions of India. Odisha is one of the pioneering states to have adopted this policy to reduce the dropout rates amongst primary school students..

[Audio] Difficult to implement: Although it is easy to prescribe mother tongue as a medium of instruction up to Class V, it is very difficult to implement as the frequent change of officer without any choice of expertise and interest, teachers lack of support from the state academic domain, responding the recurrent issues and challenges arisen in the field, lack of monitoring and coordination, make the programme weak. If proper steps are not taken in time, it is likely to slow down the learning of tribal children in the classroom, since learning depends on constant interest and eternal vigilance. Need for standardizing: Experts have emphasized that before tribal languages are used as the medium of instruction in primary schools, these languages need to be standardized. For example, the Saora language is spoken in four different regions with little variation. The Saora needs to be standardized for textbook preparation. Convincing families: The commonest criticism of the policy to use the mother tongue in schools is that it widens the divide between those who can communicate in English and those who cannot. Challenges for Supporting Multilingual Classrooms in Odisha.

[Audio] Challenge of many mother-tongues: India has several languages, the 2011 census identified 270 mother tongues and classrooms might have children with more than one spoken language.It might not be possible for all languages to become the medium of instruction and it might not be possible for large parts of the state to implement this. Lack of Coordination between the two administrating departments, that is, between the DSME and SSD department Appointment of less MLE teachers in school. Shortage of Teachers in schools. No clear implementation plan: it might not be financially viable because of the lack of funds, and lack of “administrative doability” of the policy because of the lack of trained staff, including teachers, to implement the change..

[Audio] Recommendations for supporting MLC More number of schools and other stakeholders need to be studied and accessed to get a clearer picture of the MTBMLE situation in the district and the state Appointment of more tribal teachers in schools. Strong coordination should be established with the agencies and NGOs that implement the Projects on multilingual Education in Odisha. Organise Cascade Trainings for the Teachers on Multilingual Classrooms. Additional tribal language proficiency: the Odisha government can ask teachers to achieve additional tribal language proficiency during their training period itself..

[Audio] Welcome step: The mother-tongue based education is a welcome step. A tribal student sees the world through his own language. Syncing the syllabus: Efforts are to be made to develop textbooks in tribal languages in sync with the syllabus of State boards, government textbook norms and National Education Policy. Strengthen Coordination between the two administrating departments:- that is, between the DSME and SSD department has to be well established.( It should be done by advocacy programs). The tribal languages are used as a medium of instruction in primary schools, these languages need to be standardized. Inclusion of Children with Disability in MLC..

[Audio] Thank You. Thank You.