The primary education of children of STs and SCs in the State is a major responsibility of STs and SCs Development (SSD) Department along with the School and Mass Education Department.
The SSD Department has been involved in many ways in promoting primary education of the marginalised sections which include ensuring pre-matric scholarship, running residential schools and monitoring discrimination against the section of children in schools and also implementation of RTE provisions for children of these sections in private schools besides implementation of schemes such as Anwesha and Ekalabya Model School for quality English medium education.
Along with its own State Budget, the department gets grants from the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs and grant under Article 275(1) for execution of the education mandate.
The role of the department is most vital in the life of children of SCs and STs of the State in shaping their future and building them as contributor of national development. But how the department works in discharging its duty, especially in primary education, has been a matter of concern.
Is there any improvement in the condition of department run schoolsIJ What is the quality of education and result in these schoolsIJ These are some of the important questions always striking the public mind and especially the SC and ST parents, who are routinely depending on the Government for the primary education of their children.
Such important issues are very seldom discussed in our public forums and the State Assembly, leave alone regular media reports on various related matters.
These matters are linked to universalisation of quality primary education in the State as about 32lakh (2015) ST and SC students are under primary education.
The literacy of ST and SC population has been lower than the State average and with a favorable sex ratio, the literacy of ST women has been abysmally low which attracts State attention in promotion of education among the tribal girls.
It is fact that many of the present day elected representatives and Government employees and persons in public life are product of the Ashram schools and hostels run by the SSD Department but in the changing competitive context, it has been expected that during the process these schools and hostels must have been qualitatively improved in terms of quality of education and basic infrastructural requirements. However, a general observation and media reports show a very discouraging trend about the future of the children in these Government run public institutions.
As the trend shows children from tribal areas are coming to residential schools run by private trusts and the NGOs in capital city rather than joining the schools in their locality. Even the local people’s representatives are encouraging children to join private run residential schools. Why soIJ The most important concerns are living condition and quality of teaching which includes availability of basic infrastructure and amenities, quality of food, safety and security, and availability of remuneration and facilities to teaching and nonteaching staffs providing service to the children.
The department annual report 2016 says total 6,910 hostels were sanctioned to provide residential facilities to ST and SC students of the State. But many of the existing residential schools in the State lack basic amenities such as safe piped water supply, electricity, toilet, boundary wall, kitchen, lPG gas and solar light, sufficient living room and class room, dining hall,playground, staff room, laboratories, library and staff quarters for service providers.
The inmates are supplied with reading and writing materials, blankets, bed sheet, mosquito nets, utensils, medicines, and many more essentials promised by the department under budgetary provisions. Children are also being deprived of creative activities such as sports and games, dance and music though there is provision and allocation of funds.
The continued precarious condition of these places has put a big question mark on the fate of primary education of the most deprived marginalised section. let’s see some of the cases reported in media during various times which can show us the pictures of the ground realities.
Recently the students of Morada Patapur Girl’s residential school in Mayurbhaj walked about 15 km to meet the district Collector in order to discuss their various grievances and issues of their residential school where about 300 girls are staying in the hostel.
The inmates of Sorismala Asram Bidyalaya in Malkangiri district had eaten only rice with salt without dal because the teacher in charge of the food had irregularly supplied very less rice and dal which was insufficient for about 280 children there. It is also reported that the hostel has less inmates out of the prescribe strength.
There are villages in interior tribal areas without school such as Raikhol tribal village in Patrapur Tehsil of Ganjam district where the children have to walk a long distance to attend the school amid unsafe passages of the forest.
About 100 children in Kandareddy hostel of Kalimela block in Malkangiri district were without food for two days because there was no firewood to cook their meal. It was due to the carelessness of the teacher in charge of hostel mess.
The SC and ST girls in Gadiapada Sevasharam school of Khajuripada block in Kandhamal district used to walk twice a day for one an half km for toilet and bath in the stream of forest because the hostel has no toilet and bathing place. This case was identified by a human rights team while they were traveling on their way from Phulbani.
later they have filed a petition highlighting the number of other related issues of the hostel before the National Human Rights Commission. The 22 inmates of Bandhabhui Girl’s Hostel in Pallahara block of Angul district suffered from various diseases due to lack of basic amenities such as toilet and safe drinking water and there has been no visit of doctors to the hostel.
This case came into light by local Zilla Parisad Vice-President during his surprise visit to the venue and later reported in media. It is also reported that out of ten teachers, nine were absent that day. These are some of the few reported cases where as number of such cases are not being reported for various reasons.
In this context, it is important to note that the salary of teaching and non-teaching staff is very less. Especially the non-teaching staff, Sebika and cook are mostly low paid and without any service condition. About 8,000 such employees though work for almost 24 hours but are deprived of getting minimum wage and other facilities as Government employees. These employees recently demanded action by the Government in a Press conference.
In spite of availability of financial resources and a dedicated department why for a long time these issues are being reported in media without any sign of improvement.
It may be due to lack of political will to address the very important issues of the STs and SCs of the State either by their elected representatives or by the Government.
Who are accountable for such disarray of residential schools and are such issues are being discussed for any improvementIJ
Is there any forum of parents, teachers, non-teaching staff, educational experts, social movements, community organisations and Government officials where these issues can be discussed for possible solutionIJ
(manasbbsr15@gmail.com)
