Caste in Schools: Experiences of Dalit Children

Abstract

Focussing on everyday interactions among students, teachers and peer groups in Odia medium government schools, this chapter discusses caste-based discrimination of Dalit children under three main categories: discrimination with respect to access to schools, including facilities and resources; discrimination with respect to participation in curricular and co-curricular activities; and discrimination as it affects social relationships with teachers and peers. Based on seven focus group discussions in six villages of Kalampur block of Kalahandi district, Odisha, the chapter explores the nature of relationships among members of dominant caste groups and Dalit children in schools. While schools are supposed to break barriers that hinder full participation of any child in curricular and co-curricular activities, the findings from the study suggest that practices of caste-based norms on regular basis in different spheres of everyday interactions routinely reinforce caste identity of Dalit students and remind them of being ‘untouchables’. Additionally everyday processes of classroom interactions also favoured upper-caste students as teachers often used different methods to deny equitable and dignified learning experiences to Dalit students. At the same time the chapter also shows that attempts of a few teachers to change caste norms in schools were resisted by members of upper castes. Of particular interest in this chapter are the caste-based discrimination in public schools and the detailed processes and manners in which schools follow caste norms on a day-to-day basis. The study shows how caste-based discrimination has been integrated into the processes of schooling on an everyday basis.