Language and Learning Opportunities in Tribal School

Abstract

   Tribal schools under tribal sub-plan are running with different names in many states of India. Tribal residential schools known as ‘Ashram school’ are functioning in tribal populated areas of Maharashtra state. Language is a major cultural aspect of human evolution. Hence it is felt necessary to study the relationship among the language of students, teachers and content of Ashram school. “The schools are cultural transmitter agencies” (Kundu, 1994). Past studies show that learners are more benefitted in their culture friendly environment, and the language is the main aspect in linking learners from known to unknown culture. This paper is based on the study conducted on the tribal ashram school. The study focused on studying teachers' perspectives towards students’ language identity. Paper also discusses the major themes that emerged through the analysis of teachers' semi-structured interviews and participatory observation of classroom practices. The analysis of data and conclusion from this study is not the end product, but it’s a procedural milestone for further research. The data collected for this paper is part of the pilot study before the main study. The data analyzed here are independent, and the derived conclusion is unique.

Keywords: Teachers' perspectives, Language, Tribal Ashram school, student, teacher, content, school, semi-structured interview, participatory observation.