Language is the root of exploitation for Dalits in both school and society. They have to use even a prestigious Maithili dialect (respectable language) when they talk with upper caste people. In return, they get the response in non-respectable language (dialect).
The regional dialects or social dialect (sociolect) of Musahar are different from those of upper caste people' dialects. They generally speak two dialects in two different situations and regions. That is, in 'Musahari Tole', they speak non-prestigious dialect of Maithali and in 'upper castes' Tole' (a certain territory), they speak prestigious dialect. Owing to the use of non prestigious language, the Musahars' regional languages limit further ability to communicate with the village population of the Terai region (Gaige 1975)
Language is working as a dominating factor on the part of their perception. A class fellow of higher castes calls them ‘Maitkata’ to Musahars. The horrible words of addressing them invite psychological suppression. So, their participation in learning with dormant brain weakens them in spontaneous expression.
…Children who do not speak the official school language when they begin school face special challenges… (UNESCO 2007: 2)
The interacting language which is used for them is the big problem in their learning.
Secondly, in search of better living, they have to face their mobile life. In migrated places, they have to learn a new local language. They cannot be a fluent speaker in either their own language or the new language of the migrated place. The language problem makes them dumb and its direct effect falls on their children who lack good expression (in speaking and writing) in schooling life.
Thirdly, they are usually using restricted non-standard code (i.e. the code that is used in only a certain area or society) of Maithili in their home environment. And they have to use elaborated standard code with their high caste interlocutors. But they have to learn through the other language when they enter into school. They have to communicate with teachers administrators etc. in Nepali language. Even a simple application for schools and offices, they have to write in Nepali medium.
There is a great question "How to offer equal opportunities in education and to evolve strategies for its continuation? In this regard Gaige also mentioned that Non-Nepali speakers have been exploited everywhere in Nepal for centuries. The Nepal government can communicate with Nepali speaking villagers and citizens through various Channels: radio, newspapers, local government officials' personal contact with villagers, and the educational system etc. (Gaige 1975). Generally all these channels are operated in Nepali.
Multi-dimensional negative effects for educational achievement have been imposed on The Dalits villagers like the Musahars who are one of the extremely social excluded people. Inclusion of identity has also been neglected by government for centuries. They do not ever feel that they have dignity in the nation and the society. The Musahars have been encountering economic exclusion, political and power carelessness, job opportunity negligence, educational rashness etc. They have also extremely been excluded in using prepared meal and drinking water etc. in any public place, hotel and feast. They do lack awareness and even public information to use the different kinds of public resources as well. Not only from the national tradition but also from natural resources of Nepal, Nepalese rulers and Hindu activists have been imposing the chaos life on them. Owing to the exclusion from various angles, they generally have to settle their dwellings on the side of the rivers or beaches and the places where they frequently meet flood, landslide, impediments, etc. Being the victim of natural disasters, their life is not free from struggling for the basic needs. So, they are unable to send their children to schools and academic institutions. As they have been suppressed for long they suffer from mental inhibition to express in words what they feel and their painful consequences are problematic and they remain linguistically handicapped.
Among all these afore said elements, education with appropriate language is the aggrandizer for human development. It is the educational and rich linguistic capital which has created the higher level officers, elites and controllers of the nation.
In short, there are several factors which are the blockages of attainment of education of the community. They are geographical, socio-cultural, economic, physical, mental, emotional and linguistic factors.
Among them, language is the most powerful factor which serves as the transformer for both the community and the school's education. In the community, their children have to speak their own mother tongue in the whole Madhesh and when they enter the school they have to learn the study materials in non-native languages and they cannot hope to use the native language at all in increasing classes.
If the students get easy study materials in the beginning, he will be encouraged in learning and will get feedback to proceed to further education.
Thus, a little use of their mother tongue makes them escape from education. So, the students encounter only two options: either dropout or language shift. If there is language shift of their native language; it will disappear from its existence and one of the vital national properties will be lost. If there are drop-outs, the human development capital will be blocked. The under presentation and the drop-outs of the Dalits in education became natural and an irresistible phenomenon. To conclude, the main cause of the Dalits' development in education is the language.
The regional dialects or social dialect (sociolect) of Musahar are different from those of upper caste people' dialects. They generally speak two dialects in two different situations and regions. That is, in 'Musahari Tole', they speak non-prestigious dialect of Maithali and in 'upper castes' Tole' (a certain territory), they speak prestigious dialect. Owing to the use of non prestigious language, the Musahars' regional languages limit further ability to communicate with the village population of the Terai region (Gaige 1975)
Language is working as a dominating factor on the part of their perception. A class fellow of higher castes calls them ‘Maitkata’ to Musahars. The horrible words of addressing them invite psychological suppression. So, their participation in learning with dormant brain weakens them in spontaneous expression.
…Children who do not speak the official school language when they begin school face special challenges… (UNESCO 2007: 2)
The interacting language which is used for them is the big problem in their learning.
Secondly, in search of better living, they have to face their mobile life. In migrated places, they have to learn a new local language. They cannot be a fluent speaker in either their own language or the new language of the migrated place. The language problem makes them dumb and its direct effect falls on their children who lack good expression (in speaking and writing) in schooling life.
Thirdly, they are usually using restricted non-standard code (i.e. the code that is used in only a certain area or society) of Maithili in their home environment. And they have to use elaborated standard code with their high caste interlocutors. But they have to learn through the other language when they enter into school. They have to communicate with teachers administrators etc. in Nepali language. Even a simple application for schools and offices, they have to write in Nepali medium.
There is a great question "How to offer equal opportunities in education and to evolve strategies for its continuation? In this regard Gaige also mentioned that Non-Nepali speakers have been exploited everywhere in Nepal for centuries. The Nepal government can communicate with Nepali speaking villagers and citizens through various Channels: radio, newspapers, local government officials' personal contact with villagers, and the educational system etc. (Gaige 1975). Generally all these channels are operated in Nepali.
Multi-dimensional negative effects for educational achievement have been imposed on The Dalits villagers like the Musahars who are one of the extremely social excluded people. Inclusion of identity has also been neglected by government for centuries. They do not ever feel that they have dignity in the nation and the society. The Musahars have been encountering economic exclusion, political and power carelessness, job opportunity negligence, educational rashness etc. They have also extremely been excluded in using prepared meal and drinking water etc. in any public place, hotel and feast. They do lack awareness and even public information to use the different kinds of public resources as well. Not only from the national tradition but also from natural resources of Nepal, Nepalese rulers and Hindu activists have been imposing the chaos life on them. Owing to the exclusion from various angles, they generally have to settle their dwellings on the side of the rivers or beaches and the places where they frequently meet flood, landslide, impediments, etc. Being the victim of natural disasters, their life is not free from struggling for the basic needs. So, they are unable to send their children to schools and academic institutions. As they have been suppressed for long they suffer from mental inhibition to express in words what they feel and their painful consequences are problematic and they remain linguistically handicapped.
Among all these afore said elements, education with appropriate language is the aggrandizer for human development. It is the educational and rich linguistic capital which has created the higher level officers, elites and controllers of the nation.
In short, there are several factors which are the blockages of attainment of education of the community. They are geographical, socio-cultural, economic, physical, mental, emotional and linguistic factors.
Among them, language is the most powerful factor which serves as the transformer for both the community and the school's education. In the community, their children have to speak their own mother tongue in the whole Madhesh and when they enter the school they have to learn the study materials in non-native languages and they cannot hope to use the native language at all in increasing classes.
If the students get easy study materials in the beginning, he will be encouraged in learning and will get feedback to proceed to further education.
Thus, a little use of their mother tongue makes them escape from education. So, the students encounter only two options: either dropout or language shift. If there is language shift of their native language; it will disappear from its existence and one of the vital national properties will be lost. If there are drop-outs, the human development capital will be blocked. The under presentation and the drop-outs of the Dalits in education became natural and an irresistible phenomenon. To conclude, the main cause of the Dalits' development in education is the language.
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