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Learner Diversity and Educational Marginality in South Asia

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Handbook of Education Systems in South Asia

Part of the book series: Global Education Systems ((GES))

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Abstract

Diversity of learners along the axes of class, caste, gender, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, language, region, and religion, along with the intersectionality of these identities, is a complex reality of the South Asian context. The student diversity within the formal systems of education in the region, moreover, has been a matter both of celebration as well as despair. The celebratory approach emerges from an appreciation of the fact that over an extended period of time and through struggles of different kinds, the formal system of education has become accessible to children and youth from various backgrounds and with diverse identities. The anger and anguish on the other hand of those invested in questions of equity and social justice is linked to the fact that the hegemonic frame and standardizing function of the formal system of education ends up reifying marginality and legitimizing hierarchies and discrimination both within the educational domain as well as in the society.

This chapter explores the manner in which the hierarchies within the social realm manifest themselves in the education system and impact the educational experiences of students in South Asia. Drawing on literature that has focused on the ways in which certain sets of students are marginalized within the education systems, the chapter provides an overview of the issues involved. The theoretical and conceptual frameworks that help identify the cause and effect of student marginalization within the systems of education are also reviewed. The chapter concludes by reiterating the need for formal systems of education to foster the possibilities of social transformation that can ensure dignity, equity, and justice for all.

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  1. Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad, India

    Rekha Pappu

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  1. Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

    Padma M. Sarangapani

  2. Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad, India

    Rekha Pappu

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  1. Azim Premji School of Education, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad, India

    Rekha Pappu

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Pappu, R. (2021). Learner Diversity and Educational Marginality in South Asia. In: Sarangapani, P.M., Pappu, R. (eds) Handbook of Education Systems in South Asia. Global Education Systems. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3309-5_52-2

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    Learner Diversity and Educational Marginality in South Asia
    Published:
    11 December 2020

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3309-5_52-2

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    Learner Diversity and Educational Marginality in South Asia
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    23 October 2020

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3309-5_52-1

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