Year : 2020, Volume : 14, Issue : 2
First page : ( 48) Last page : ( 70)
Print ISSN : 0973-9629. Online ISSN : 0976-4674. Published online : 2020 December 30.
Article DOI : 10.5958/0976-4674.2020.00010.5

Empowerment versus Disempowerment and Mother Tongue

Ms. Sundaray Dipjyoti

PhD Scholar Tata Institute of Social Sciences-Mumbai, Maharashtra

Abstract

The paper seeks to analyze the impact of non-recognition of tribal languages and exclusion of tribal children’s mother tongues in the formal education system. It discusses how this exclusion severely restricts their freedom of choice and access to resources, leading to illiteracy, educational failure, and impact lifelong learning. It also highlights the benefit of mother-tongue based multilingual education on tribal children whose language is considered as dialect and not a full-fledged language by the authorities.The paper begin with defining mother tongue by various scholars, local and international institutions followed by multilingual situation in India mostly focusing on triabal language situation in India. It also highlight the language composition of Assam since Assam was undivided from 1951. It also emphasize on how exclusion of mother tongue has lead to language disadvantage of tribal children more specifically Rabha tribal children. The paper conclude with recommendation for multilingual education as an approach to overcome language disadvantage of triabl children.

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Keywords

Mother Tongue, Tribal Language, Formal Education, Empowerment, Illiteracy, Quality Education, Multilingual Education, Medium of Instruction.

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