Chowdhary Ayaz Ahmed Hakla
India is a colourful country comprising a staggering variety of cultures and communities. Each section has it’s own needs and requirements and among all, we tend to forget the most sidelined community– the tribals. India has the world’s second largest tribal population and it is also the most economically underprivileged in our country. One of the first steps to developing any community is education. With the total population of 104,281,034
Scheduled Tribes constitute 8.6percent of the India’s total population (Census 2011). These tribal communities are spread over around 15percent of area of the country most of which are hills and dales, forests and plateaus and therefore, under developed and inaccessible. A majority of scheduled tribes of India are economically, socially and educationally backward. There is a wide variation in their social system, economic organization and political structure. Though they have a common cultural chord displaying their group identity, their art and craft, music and song, language and literature, rituals and religion are diverse and dissimilar in different regions. But one conspicuous commonality with the scheduled tribes of India is their backwardness and underdevelopment. They have suffered in the past and continue to suffer in the present and their future also seems bleak. Though a number of steps have been taken by the central and state governments for the overall development of the tribal population from time to time but so far the results have not been up to the mark.
Emancipation and upliftment of people can be achieved only through education. Indeed, the country’s progress and development largely depends upon the educational attainment of its people. Marked improvements in access and to some extent in quality of education in tribal areas have occurred and stem from various government and non-government initiatives. However, the number of out-of-school children continues to be several millions mainly due to lack of proper infrastructure, teacher absenteeism and attitude, parental poverty, seasonal migration, lack of interest and parental motivation etc.India made a constitutional commitment to provide free and compulsory education to all children up to the age of 14, nearly 60 years ago. The goal which was expected to be achieved by 1960, remains elusive, even now. Yet one has to admit that developments in recent years have had significant impact on the situation, raising the hope that universal basic education could be a reality with in a reasonable period of time.
Literacy rate of Gujjars and Bakarwals
As per the schedule of population in census report 2011 , issued by Registrar General of India , the tribal population especially the Gujjars and Bakerwals resides in each district of the UT. Despite the government’s continuous efforts to encourage education among the Scheduled Tribes groups , the literacy rates of some of the Tribal communities of Jammu and Kashmir especially the Gujjars and Bakerwals is extremely low as compared to the national and UT average, as said in census data. The literacy rate in India , as per Census 2011, is 73 percent and for STs at national level it is 59 percent only .But in J&K, only 50 percent tribals are shown literate which is much lower than the national level. Male and female literacy rates 48.2% and 25.5% are much below if compared to those recorded by all S.Ts at the national level (59.2% and 34.8 %). Among all the S.T literates in the UT 34.9% are either without any educational level or have attained education below primary level. The primary level literates constitute 26.2% followed by literates up to middle level (22.1%). The persons educated up to the secondary/ higher secondary level constitute 14.7% whereas 2% only are graduates and above. Non- technical and technical diploma holders form negligible percentage (0.1percent). Though the above given data clearly shows the educational backwardness among S.Ts of the UT in general but at the individual level Gujjars & Bakarwals have the lowest literacy rates (as per census 2001) of 31.7% and 22.5% respectively, which is lower than any other tribe of the state. Therefore, there is an immediate need to study the causes for such a low performance in educational sector by these two tribal groups so that a sociological framework of suggestions will be provided for the solution of those problems through micro-macro level programme intervention in the long- term and short term policy planning in the state. If we compare it to the General population, the general population has 71.23% of the literacy rate. General population has higher literacy rate in comparison to the Gujjars and Bakarwals, because a major proportion of the Gujjar and Bakarwal population still keep moving all around the year so they get less opportunity of educating their childrens as compare to the rest of the population.
Major steps need to be taken
In general terms, Jammu and Kashmir has been quite successful in enlarging the coverage of primary and elementary schools for ST students. The problem, however, is more in terms of attracting tribal children to secondary and higher level of education. As from here drop out ratio start increasing.
Steps need to be taken
Effective management of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) exclusively meant for ST students need to be established at least at block level and depending on Tribal population there no. may vary in every block. (As already mentioned that out of 19 Eklavya Model Residential Schools, 2 have been sanctioned to J&K during 2016-17. Of the total fund approved under EMRS, 12% has been allotted to J&K which probably indicates policy makers’ initiative to uplift the educational status of the tribal students in the state.)
We need to establish more residential school as per tribal population in the areas.
Gujjar & Bakerwal Hostels must be converted into residential schools on the Pattern of JNV and staff should be posted on merit.
Gujjar & Bakarwal Hostels must be established in each and every District for College Students as it will help in decreasing drop our ratio
Now it’s time to start Forced Schools in the areas where parents don’t send their wards to schools, those who don’t send their wards to school must be debarred from taking benefits from various Government Schemes.
There must be special funds in every schools for awarding those students who do best in exams at school level and similarly at zonal level.
There must be a high level research committee with adequate representation of STs serving as well as retired experts to find facts why the literacy rate is low in Tribals and what needs to be done.
Special drive cum awareness campaign must be launched through TV/ Radio /Drama /Short movies about Importance of education
Flexibility in medium of instructions as mother tounge must be preffered
Teachers in Tribal areas must be awarded for their performance and for increasing roll in School.
There must be rational and uniform reservation system for admission in all the Technical and other higher institution as per reservation in jobs as most of universities are not providing adequate seats for STs in higher education Institution. As reservation for admission is more important than for job. Some Universities have few seats only for STs and so on even some institution don’t have a single seat for STs students.
Schools in Tribal Dominant areas must be linked with EMRS so that both can work for better educatioing of students and there must be a coordination between them.
The Advisory Board for G&B must restructured and re established with its membership from leading researchers, academician, retired burecrats having sufficient experience in the field. So that the board can work as a think tank for policy matter in Schedule Tribe rather than looking on TSP Plans & G&B hostels only.
Depending upon population there must be adequate no of Mobile Primary Schools in each and every Dhok and then similarly there must be Mobile Middle School in the area depending upon no of students. There must be special team of dedicated employees from department for inspection and accountability of these School as it will be vain if we don’t have a system to keep check on them.
Tribal zone must be created in the area for effective management with the usage of technology and special training of staff from experts.
From the above analysis, it can be concluded that the position of education among the Scheduled Tribes of Jammu and Kashmir reflects pathetic scenes. Their level of education is very low and declines sharply at higher level. Tribes of Jammu and Kashmir are educationally backward when compared to tribes at national level. It is a matter of serious concern and problem for the entire country as it affects every individual of the society.
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