How is an indigenous-led school unique? Ft. Ramdas Bhaskaran
Throughout our week-long Instagram live discussions, we have spoken to multiple experts about the damaging effects of factory schooling on India’s indigenous children. In this conversation, we speak with Ramdas who is a part of an indigenous run school - Vidyodaya in Gudalur, Tamil Nadu. For three decades, the organization Adivasi Munnetra Sangham has managed the school. It is not a standalone school, but an outcome of the Adivasi land rights movement. The school not only has Adivasi children but also trustees of the trust are from the Adivasi community. The students learn the history of the movement, they learn about their surroundings, the curriculum is decided by members of their own Adivasi communities. This is one of the few examples of indigenous-led education, showing that it promotes and preserves Adivasi identity while also learning about the world.
