PANCHATANTRA AND NARRATIVE PEDAGOGY IN THE INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM

Abstract

The Panchatantra, an ancient, Sanskrit collection of animal stories attributed to Vishnu Sharma, is an important part of Indian folklore and informal learning experiences; however, the educational implications of the Panchatantra have received little emphasis in today's schools. The purpose of this study is to argue that the Panchatantra provides a rich example of how story telling can be used as a tool of narrative pedagogy in Indian schools. Specifically, with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 calling for experiential, culturally relevant, and value-based education, this study will situate the Panchatantra historically as a form of a narrative curriculum in ancient India; examine the narrative structures, ethics and use of dialogue in the Panchatantra; and link the above mentioned aspects of the Panchatantra to current theoretical models of narrative learning, constructivist thought and social/emotional development. The study will also explore how the Panchatantra can be incorporated into Indian classrooms to teach languages, values, critical thinking skills, conflict resolution skills, democratic dialogue and assist children in forming their identities within a pluralistic, postcolonial society. Additionally, this study will discuss the challenges and tensions associated with incorporating the Panchatantra into Indian classrooms such as the risk of promoting stereotypes or using sanitized versions of the stories and provide suggestions for developing a critical, inclusive, and dialogic narrative pedagogy grounded in the Panchatantra tradition, while providing flexibility for educators.