Roots, Routes and a New Awakening: Rupantara, a Transformative Intiative in Co-Learning and Training of Tribal Teachers of Odisha, India

Abstract

Multiculturalism and multiculturalism is the reality in Indian society, but the schools are monolingual for which millions of children are deprived of their mother tongue education. Teachers from non-tribal community serve in Indian schools with ethnic prejudices, for which the children from tribal comunities are affected in appripriate learning. This paper aims at removing the stereotypes of teachers serving in tribal areas to question their authenticity of teaching in tribal schools. A movement of transforming teachers to value the tribal language and culture in school system was initiated in Odisha, India to empower the teachers to understand the cultural diversity and respect tribal culture in classroom  for a cultural democracy. The Teacher training programme in Odisha was a movement to promote a positive outlook among the teachers in favour of tribal children removing their ethnic sterotypes and make them professionally competent to use tribal langauge and culture in classroom for a child responsive learning.