About the program

From last 7 – 8 years, we are into developing the literacy and education pedagogy rooted in multi-lingual Education (MLE) approach. It entails creating spaces in school where children’s language and culture has a dignified place in school processes, which include, textbooks, story books and teaching learning methodology. The present work is with the Korku – a tribal language, population of which is approx. 2.5 lakhs in Maharastra Melghat region.
The exemplar work will serve as a guide to other languages and communities.

Aims and objectives

Influence the classroom practice and institutionalise the MLE approach in the primary grades of schooling initially in the one district of Maharashtra and later in the other tribal parts of the state.

Strategy for implementation

Development of a model for Literacy building of Children from tribal Communities using MTB MLE approach by working with the local body schools which encompasses teaching learning process, classroom interactions, teaching learning material and children’s literature. Disseminating the perspective and pedagogy amongst teachers and influencing Education policy of Maharashtra state for institutionalised this approach and pedagogy.

Activities

• School intervention programme in 5 classes of government schools from grade 1 - 4
• Training of teachers in MLE based practice
• Develop TLM for facilitating MLE practice in calssrooms
• Offer Korku language course
• Creating Literature in Children’s Mother Tongue

Story of Change

• Freedom of expression, confidence, developed literacy is the feature of our classroom: Children in our classrooms are active participant in the learning process. They express, question, have dialogue with the teachers. We believe that education happens through dialogue and exchange, which happens through verbal medium mainly in the initial years of schooling. For this verbal medium child is not prohibited to use any language. We use mothertongue and Hindi, which is in their surroundings, as a resource in the classroom. The picture of active classroom is not seen in the regular government school.
  We could create space and culture in the school classroom where children’s language and culture have a dignified place in school processes
• Teachers have started agreeing the importance of use of children’s mother tongue in the classroom: From some instances we inferred that teachers are getting convinced of the use of children’s mother tongue in the classroom. Some of the instances are as follows:
  • Teacher from one school, who was reluctant earlier, started using children’s language (korku) in his classroom.
  • In the morning assembly, teacher from the other school enthused children to tell the story in his own language.
  • We overheard teachers talking amongst themselves the good words about the MTBMLE pedagogy we are using in the classrooms.