Poverty and Education: Attainments and Challenges for Tribal Communities

Abstract

Various educational policies and government initiatives at the national level in India have aimed at improving the literacy rate of the tribal communities. However, even after 73 years of independence, the literacy levels of the tribal people have not risen to the desired levels. On top, there is the issue of high dropout rates (Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Statistics Division, Government of India, 2013, Statistical Profile of Scheduled Tribes in India, https://tribal.nic.in/ST/StatisticalProfileofSTs2013.pdf ; 70.9%, according to a recent study) among the Tribals (Rupavath, 2016a, Review Pub Administration Management, 4, p. 183). In such a situation, it is important to find out why tribal communities are still lagging behind in the education sector. This study will deal with the various aspects of access to education for the tribal communities. It will also try to examine the linkage between poverty and education. This is considered important since literacy can mean much more than mere bookish knowledge. A literate person can be expected to have more awareness about matters of importance to him or her. On the employment front, a literate person can have wider livelihood options—and not be confined to pursue occupations which largely entail manual labour. At the same time, a literate person would know more about his or her legitimate entitlements and be in a better position to avail of these. It is one thing for the government to reserve vacancies for candidates belonging to the deprived sections of society. It is equally important for more persons hailing from these sections to know about these and utilize these. Education can be a means for such persons to optimally utilize the opportunities available to them. It is a proven fact that students learn better and retain more when they are active participants in the teaching–learning process. For the purpose of this study, two districts—Anantapur and Vishakhapatnam (in Andhra Pradesh), and Hyderabad district (in Telangana)—have been selected for a detailed examination. The study will include not only the availability of infrastructure but also participation of the tribal students in the classroom discussions. The study will utilize both purposive and random sampling methods.