Paper short abstract:

What is the education package that enables tribal students to be rooted and strengthened in their identity, while also overcoming the inter-generational trauma they carry and equipping themselves for accessing the mainstream world, is a question that the Muskaan School has worked on, for 18 years.

Paper long abstract:

A Freirian pedagogy supported with love is the effort that is ongoing in our school in Bhopal.

Authentic expression and a faith in your own voice, your own agency is important for us. Community members come and share their songs and skills, while students on their field trips hear the elders and also examine realities through field surveys and exposure trips.

Discussions on the current realities of the marginalized groups in the country and the world and the history of marginalization supports students to understand the way the world has worked with people like them.

A multilingual approach that facilitates students to express freely in their home language while learning other languages through different approaches, also facilitating metalinguistic skills and transferring concepts to the target language, has been our approach.

Capitalist economies and deep rooted caste system have destroyed survival mechanisms of many indigenous groups. Addictions, suicides and mental health issues are symptoms. Therapeutic sessions in the form of movement therapy, counseling and relationships of love and hope, are our premise.

The school provides residential facilities for some students. Anchored within the community ethos, it is still a getaway from the situations of violations from various quarters.

These efforts have brought forth artistic expressions in the form of literature, paintings, films and theatre that is anchored in the community’s voice. Other professional choices include lawyers, teachers, mental health practitioners, researchers and social workers that respond to their community needs.