KOCHI: While Kerala continues to chart new pathways in education, the backwardness among tribal communities presents a stark contrast.
One major reason for this, as identified by the studies conducted by Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK), is the language barrier. All tribal communities have their own mother tongue, which is entirely different from Malayalam, the official language of the state. And that has seen several programmes designed for the welfare of tribal communities, including initiatives associated with education, failing to yield the desired results.
Taking note of the issue, SSK decided to implement a language adaptation programme -- called ‘Padippurassi’ -- designed specially for tribal students. The initiative was implemented in the 2022-23 academic year and has been bearing results, an official with SSK told TNIE.
According to the official, the programmes implemented by successive governments did not work because they were of poor quality. “A combination of economic, social, cultural, and geographical disadvantages led to their failure. To address this challenge, lessons and learning cards were developed in the respective tribal languages as part of the ‘Padippurassi’ initiative. It has been proven that children understand concepts quickly when their mother tongue is the medium of instruction in the formative years,” the official pointed out.
Also, drawing content from the children’s immediate surroundings—such as trees, flowers, streams, rivers, mountains, ornaments, food, and celebrations in hamlets -- helps with learning, the SSK official said.
“For example, these children have never seen a plane, nor have they celebrated festivals like Onam. Trying to base their learning experience on such examples will not work. But when we connect the lessons with things in their surroundings, learning becomes easier,” the official said.
Since most of the tribal languages do not have a script of their own, and the Malayalam alphabet is used to transcribe their speech, the children could be eased into lessons in Malayalam in the Upper Primary section. “This helped make a smoother transition from their mother tongue to the official language, and thereby reduced the gap in learning.
This approach also aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasises that early-stage learning should take place in the mother tongue. By incorporating the child’s own language and cultural environment, programmes like ‘Padippurassi’ not only ensure better comprehension but also foster inclusivity and a stronger foundation for lifelong learning,” the official stressed.
The programme was introduced in select tribal languages across schools in the districts of Palakkad, Wayanad, Malappuram, and Kasaragod. “Initially, there was some confusion among teachers and parents as many misunderstood the programme. They thought that students would learn only in their local language, completely avoiding Malayalam. It was a herculean task for the officials to convince them of the actual objective and significance of the initiative. Gradually, however, all stakeholders accepted it wholeheartedly,” the official said.
The lessons and reading cards were prepared with the active involvement of the local tribespeople. “In places where tribal mentors of the tribal welfare department were present, their services were used to implement the project. And in other places, teachers were trained through interactions held with individuals well-versed in the tribal language,” the SSK official pointed out.
An example of the remarkable outcome of the programme was brought forth before the media recently when the students of GTLPS Edamalakkudy met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. “They exhibited impressive language abilities. Deeply moved by this achievement, the chief minister announced the upgrading of GTLPS Edamalakkudy. Now, the school functions as an Upper Primary School with a strength of 65 students, from Classes 1 to 7,” a teacher said.
General Education Minister V Sivankutty too posted a short video recently of students from GTWLPS Anavai, Attappadi, presenting a programme in Malayalam.
However, due to financial constraints faced by the SSK, the programme could not be expanded to more schools or extended to all tribal languages, the official added.