Elementary Education In Tribal India

Elementary education is considered the bedrock of any development and therefore, the curriculum of primary education and the working strategies for running of primary schools are very vital aspects. Different agencies are engaged in spreading of primary education in tribal areas and of course, they have their own resources and working strategies. As such the performances of schools of different agencies very. India is a multiethnic country and there are many tribal communities that are dispersed in forest-dominated hilly and mountainous areas. It has not yet been possible for the School and Mass Education Department to access all these areas due to various constraints. Therefore. the Welfare Department has established many special schools in TSP areas with a view to providing better education to the tribal pupils residing therein. The present book speaks about the strategies of functioning of primary schools established in Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) areas by two different government departments, viz., School and Mass Education Department and Welfare Department, and highlights how do these schools perform comparatively in two eastern Indian states, namely Orissa and Chhattisgarh. The important aspects discussed in this work include: features of special schools and the government educational schemes, location of schools and their accessibility, physical condition of schools, number of classrooms and space available for pupils, indoor and outdoor facilities available for students, availability of teaching aids and study materials, number of classes and teachers available, medium of instruction, parental awareness and mobilization, management of school administration, etc. The performance of schools is highlighted in terms of enrolment and attendance, retention and dropout, academic achievement, etc. It also speaks intensely of the reasons of irregular attendance and dropout cases. The book is very useful for the academicians, researchers, students, administrators, public action planners, civil societies and all those who are interested in this area of study