Constitutional Provision
Article 21A has been introduced vide the Constitution (Eighty-Sixth Amendment) Act, 2002 which makes the right to education a fundamental right. This Article requires the State to provide free and compulsory education to all the children at the age of six to fourteen years, in such manner as State, may by law determine.
Problems in the areas of Education in the Tribal area
1. Low attendance of students due to engagement of students in collection of forest products, wage-based livelihood and household activities –
Problems –
Despite several initiatives being taken by the Government, low attendance of the students in schools located in Tribal areas is very much evident and same is a cause of concern for the government. Due to constraint of local economy, even young members of the family have been engaged in collection of forest products, wage based livelihood. Moreover parents of students do not oversee immediate benefit in education and resulting in that parents prefer to send their children in work instead of sending them to school even prior to completion of their matriculation.
Policies
a. In order to encourage the students as well as the families of the students, monthly reward system in the form of cash or kind of minimum value of INR 2,000/- per student would be implemented based on the few parameters like number of days of attendance in the school, marks obtained in the monthly/quarterly/annual exam conducted by the school, performance in the various events like sports, painting competition, music competition, dance, handicraft work competition etc. conducted by the schools etc.
b. It is to be ensured that one student should not get more than one reward even if he or she will meet the parameter or criteria of getting prize based on his or her performance in the school. One of the reasons of setting such criteria would be to ensure that prize money would reach to the maximum students in the school instead of few students.
c. Students who fail to present minimum 20 days in a month; he or she would be automatically disqualified from getting prize. This particular policy would be taken in order to discourage absent in the class.
d. In the event the students will achieve 100% attendance in a month then such student or students would automatically qualify for the cash prizes. In such case, an exception rule has been framed in order to encourage attendance of the students in the school. The exception rule is that students are also eligible to get additional one prize based on their performance in exam or extra-curricular activities.
2. Appointment of non-tribal teachers in the schools –
Problems
It is evident that non-tribal teachers have been appointed in most of the tribal schools, and the problem is that said teachers neither have knowledge of tribal language nor able to adapt the tribal culture to serve their children to provide the education in best manner. Moreover non-tribal teachers have considered that posting in tribal schools as punishment as these areas do not have basic adequate facilities like road communications, electricity and marketing facilities etc.
Policies
In order to resolve the issue of passive participation of non-tribal teachers in the ground level activities such as taking classes, interacting with the students etc. in the schools following measures should be taken –
a. In every village or every block comprising two or three villages where schools are situated, two or three teachers from tribes having minimum qualification of graduate, would be appointed from that area on temporary basis but later on based on the satisfactory performance; they will be hired on permanent basis. The main purpose of appointing temporary teachers is to use them as bridge between gap non-tribal teachers and students. The role of the temporary teachers would not only to teach the students but also to help non-tribal teachers to make them aware about the tribal culture and also help them to connect with the students.
b. Inspectors would visit the schools in every month or every quarter and they will also communicate with the teachers on one to one basis in order to understand their problem areas and also interact with the students to understand their problems areas. Inspector would also observe how teachers take classes and also how they would interact with the students. Inspectors would judge teachers based on few parameters like knowledge about the subjects, understanding of the subject or topics of the student etc.
c. Every class, a permanent teacher i.e. non-tribe teacher would be appointed as class teacher and under one permanent teacher, two temporary teachers would be there and the role of temporary teachers would be to assist permanent teacher.
d. Exam will be conducted monthly in a year and based on the performance of the students in the exam as well as in the extra-curricular activities; grade of permanent teachers and respective temporary teachers would be decided. 60% weightage would be given to exams and 40% weightage would be given to extra-curricular activities.
e. Every month competitions would be conducted among the students. This competition would comprise both individual events like painting competition, race, badminton competition as well team events like football, kabaddi etc. Based on the performance of the students in that events, gradation system of teachers would be determined.
f. Gradation system would be divided into four categories, Grade – A , Grade – B, Grade – C and Grade –D. In case, team of teachers comprising one permanent teacher and two temporary teacher would get Grade-A based on performance of the students in their classes then permanent teachers would get hike in the salary as well as consecutives there years of Grade-A would earn promotion and transfer to school in urban area and job of temporary teachers would be permanent in the event of consecutives there years of Grade –A. This particular incentive may work wonder and both permanent and temporary teachers work hard in order to achieve Grade-A and by this process student would be benefited to a large extent.
g. In order to give fair and equal opportunity, every year class teacher and assistant class teacher would be rotated to different class and also both of them would have to work with different teachers.
3. Consistent gap between the availability of textbooks and the start of the academic session –
Problem –
It is seen that there is a huge gap between start of the academic session and availability of textbooks. In general, academic session starts in the month of April but the distribution of textbooks remains incomplete till the last month of January and post distribution of textbooks students get only 3 months prior to exams resulting in the mid of the session many students are losing interest and quit study forever.
Policies
a. Zero tolerance approach would be initiated in order to arrange the books for tribal students.
b. In the event it is found that books are not available with the students prior to start of or at the start of education season, then stick action would be taken against the concerned persons and even concerned person may be suspended temporarily if it is found that delay in process of distribution of books is intentional.
4.0 Sub-standard quality of meals provided to the children in primary school –
Problems
Under Mid-day meal scheme of the government, students have been provided foods in primary schools. However, it is seen that the kind of foods provided to the students are sub-standard quality and saddest part is that students remain on empty stomachs.
Policies
a. Zero tolerance approach would be taken in order to provide quality meals to the children.
b. During the inspection or it is reported that sub-standard quality of meal is provided to the students then then stick action would be taken against the concerned persons and even concerned person may be suspended temporarily
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