The Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE):

The Adivasiya MTB-MLE School is an initiative that aims to provide education to Adivasi students in their mother tongue. The program is designed to improve the learning experience and relevance of education for students marginalized by caste, tribal status, first-generation status, class, and region. The program seeks to provide equal opportunities for non-English learners, who are often stigmatized. The medium of instruction is usually the dominant official language of their respective states, such as Odia in Odisha, Telugu in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kannada in Karnataka, Bengali in West Bengal or Hindi in North Indian states, and not the Indigenous languages they grow up with at home. This dissonance at such a young age and difficulty in establishing relevance lead to a lack of interest in attending school, not being able to meet learning objectives, class repetition, and eventual dropouts, leading to the structural invisibility of Adivasi students and their scintillating knowledge systems in the mainstream. Therefore, providing Adivasi students with education in their mother tongues is an essential first step in bridging this gap and transitioning from their Adivasi languages to the dominant language as a medium of instruction. The Adivasi Sahitya Sabha promotes the Adivasiya MTB-MLE School by advocating for the implementation of the Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) initiative. The Sabha has been instrumental in setting up a unique school where Adivasi students get the opportunity to study in the popular Adivasi language – Sadri. The school, located in Sonitpur district, Assam, started functioning from 201912.

The Adivasi Sahitya Sabha is setting up a school in Sonitpur district where Adivasi students will have the opportunity to study in the popular Adivasi language, Sadri. The school will start functioning from December this year and will cover at least 40 students in its first batch. The school will be started on a pilot basis in the Bhutia Ali area under Dhekiajuli sub-division and will initially have only pre-primary classes. The primary-level classes will be introduced once the school gets good response from the parents and the students. The Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) International has provided technical support to start the school, while PAJHRA, an NGO, has provided the necessary logistical support.