UPSC MAINS SOCIOLOGY SYLLABUS
Paper 2 – Section C – Visions of Social Change in India
(vii) Challenges of Social Transformation:
(a) Crisis of development: displacement, environmental problems and sustainability.
(b) Poverty, deprivation and inequalities.
(c) Violence against women.
(d) Caste conflicts.
(e) Ethnic conflicts, communalism, religious revivalism.
(f) Illiteracy and disparities in education.
INTRODUCTION
Data from the 2011 Census says that the literacy rate for tribals in India was 59%, higher than the 47.1% recorded in 2001, but far lower than the national average of 73%. The Tribal Development Report 2022, released by Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation, an independent body under the ministry of rural development, further said that 48.2% of tribal children drop out of school before they finish Class 8, which rises to 62.4% by the time students reach Class 10.
EDUCATION CHALLENGES REGARDING TRIBALS
Negative Parental Attitude: As the literacy rate of the tribe is below from the general population. Parents of tribal
children not well educated and are educationally backward. In their community there is no encouragement to the pupil to pursue the study and they don’t want to send their girl child in a coeducational institute.
Medium of Instruction : In a country like India that occupies multiple cultures and languages, one language dominating learning and education as a medium of instruction can leave many illiterate and foster unproductive learning. The struggle between mother tongue and dominant language in classroom leaves the aspiring learners from the Scheduled Tribes behind in learning.
Lack of good pedagogy: Schools in far flung areas and difficult terrain face shortage of teachers. Many primary schools have single teacher and that teacher is not aware about the needs of tribal students. Due to communication gap, tribal students are termed as slow learners.
Lack of Adequate Infrastructure in Schools: Adequate infrastructure which include gender segregated functional toilets, pucca school buildings, electricity, water, play area, library, sports facilities, and safe and conducive environment for learning are the primary requirements for retaining a child in the school. The tribal areas are generally remote, hilly and in dense forests, therefore, schools located in these areas lack such facilities. These issues ultimately lead to children dropping out of school.
Financial burden: The economic condition of tribal people is so poor that they do not desire to spare their children or their labour power and allow them to attend schools
MEASURES FOR IMPROVEMENT
• Literacy campaign should be done in different tribal areas to promote education of tribes.
• Relevant study material in local language should be used to teach tribal students.
• In tribal areas schools should be appointed local area teacher and female teacher also in school.
• Various scholarship and stipends should be given to attract pupil toward school.
• In tribal area problem of transport prevail to overcome this there should be
residential schools.
• Proper monitoring should be done that all the schemes for tribes implementing
properly. is the teacher doing their jobs sincerely.
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND EFFORTS
GOAL (Going Online as Leaders) : GOAL (Going Online as Leaders) is a joint initiative of Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Meta (formerly Facebook), which aims at digital empowerment of tribal youth and women through concept of mentor and mentee. The GOAL phase 2.0 is a Facebook program aimed at guiding and encouraging tribal girls from across India to become village-level digital young leaders for their communities
Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) scheme : EMRS is a scheme for making model residential schools for Indian tribals (ST- Scheduled Tribes) across India. It started in the year 1997-98. The Eklavya Model Residential School in Shinde (Nashik) has been planned by the Ministry Tribal Affairs to give impetus to quality education in nearby tribal areas. The EMR School follows the CBSE curriculum. Eklavya Model Residential Schools are being developed to impart quality education to tribal students, with an emphasis on not only academic education but all-round development of tribal students.
Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship Scheme (RGNF) : RGNF was introduced in the year 2005-2006 with the objective to encourage the students belonging to ST community to pursue higher education.
Vocational Training Center in Tribal Areas : The aim of this scheme is to develop the skill of ST students depending on their qualification and present market trends.
The RTE Act : With the 86th Amendment to the Constitution Article 21A was inserted to ensure that every child has a right to full time elementary education of satisfactory and equitable quality in a formal school satisfying certain norms and standards. This subsequently resulted in formulation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 which gave a legal mandate to provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child in the age group of 6-14 years.
Support to Tribal Research Institute (TRI) : This scheme aims to strengthen TRIs to carry out research, documentation, training and capacity building activities and serve as a knowledge hub catering to overall tribal development. Tribal museums are also established under this scheme.
CONCLUSION
Development in tribal societies should focus on educational programmes that motivate keeping tribal youth integrated in their own culture. Working with the tribal leaders is a key to ensure their active participation and cooperation in sensitisation programmes on the importance of education. There is a need to promote intensive participatory community mobilisation and sensitisation programmes for the community leaders and key stakeholders. Moreover, such awareness generation programmes should be organised through experienced and credible institutions working in the domain of tribal education.
