Reading the ‘Caste’ in the Minds of ‘Aspirant Teachers’

Abstract

This article explores the notions of caste among the student-teachers ¹ of a popular teacher education programme in India. The study attempts to gauge the abilities of the student-teachers to delve into the structures of inequality and address issues from different social, political, economic and philosophical viewpoints. Findings reveal that the common concern for most student-teachers was their discontent with the reservation policy for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes. ² The majority of the student-teachers believed that economic class should be the single most criterion to define ‘deprivation’ while formulating any affirmative policies. Student-teachers’ narratives reflect how there is a need to engage in dialogue with their notions of caste as well as class. This article argues to take the preparation of teachers seriously as teacher’s own knowledge and beliefs on several issues of identity vis-à-vis caste come to influence their pedagogical interactions with the learners in a great way.