Paper Details

In India the history of English education has been influenced by colonial policies which assigned English as a language of power, administration, modernity and social mobility. Alongside national and global opportunities that English affords, its colonial past has also created cultural alienation, linguistic privilege and reliance on Western knowledge structures. This paper critically explores the decolonising potential of Indian Knowledge Systems, through the lens of English education. Decolonisation is not about giving up English; it is about making English an authentic and culturally responsive, multilingual, inclusive and critically informed practice. The study delves into the colonial context of English education, the theoretical underpinning of decolonisation, the importance of IKS, and the significance of the National Education Policy 2020 in fostering Indian knowledge traditions. It believes that the English classrooms can be made places where learners connect with elements of Indian philosophy, literature, ethics, aesthetics, oral traditions, local histories, as well as communities' knowledge, and learn to communicate with the outside world. The paper also identifies challenges including tokenism, political misappropriation and inadequate teacher preparation and the potential for de-inclusion of marginalised knowledge traditions.

Decolonisation, English education, Indian Knowledge Systems, NEP 2020, multilingualism, colonial education