Negotiating Multilingualism and Inclusion: Reimagining Teacher Roles in Tribal Classrooms under NEP 2020

Abstract

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 promotes teachers as inclusive, context-responsive, and multilingual professionals. In tribal education, however, realizing this vision may be challenged by language hierarchies, limited multilingual teacher preparation, uneven availability of local-language resources, and the unequal social and economic value attached to dominant languages. This study critically examines teacher roles in tribal education through the lens of Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (CSP) and analyzes NEP 2020, the National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) 2023, and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023 (NCF-SE 2023). The study adopts a conceptual and analytical approach based on critical analysis of relevant policy and scholarly documents. The analysis indicates that the three frameworks recognize diversity, multilingualism, inclusion, and contextual learning, but provide less explicit articulation of the competencies, resources, professional autonomy, and institutional mechanisms required to sustain tribal languages and cultural practices. From a CSP perspective, the findings highlight a distinction between recognizing diversity and creating conditions for its long-term sustainability. The discussion emphasizes that teachers can play an important role in sustaining linguistic and cultural diversity, but meaningful inclusion cannot depend solely on individual teacher agency. Strengthening multilingual teacher education, institutional support, locally relevant resources, and community participation is therefore essential for advancing equity and inclusion in tribal education.