Vol. 10, Issue 11, Part A (2024)

The purpose of this study is to assess the extent to which efforts have been made to empower the community and the degree of teacher involvement in the multilingual education program and also to examine how much the tribal community has been able to create its own knowledge system through this program. A sample of 170, comprised of students and MLE teachers were randomly selected from 12 schools of Baripada out of which 10 are multilingual and 2 are non-multilingual school for the study. In this study two self-made tools, an interview schedule and a focus group discussion are used for the data collection. Additionally, achievement data were gathered from school records. The study’s findings showed that both MLE teachers and students in Mayurbhanj district have a positive view of the MLE program. However several problems for MLE in the district include delays in receiving MLE books and materials, inconsistent use of TLMs, low student attendance, negative attitude from parents, strict tribal customs, lack of incentives for teachers, insufficient training programs, schools being isolated from mainstream areas and issues related to illiterate parents and family circumstances. So, for the success of this programme, it is suggested that the necessary steps should be taken to overcome these challenges.