XI. REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP ON SCS, STS, AND MINORITIES EDUCATION
The Group on Education of SC/ST and Minorities constituted by the Central Advisory Board of Education under the chairmanship of Shri E.T. Mohammad Basheer, Minister of Education, Kerala met on 5.5.1992 Shri I.C. Srivastava, Secretary (Education), Government of Rajasthan acted as Rapporteur. A list of participants is attached.
The Chairman of the Group highlighted the issues to be considered. He stated that in spite of four decades of development in education, there is need for a very high priority to be given to the weaker sections of society in all our educational programmes. He further stated that this was the right time to do because 8th Plan was about to be finalised. He was of the view that the Group should give specific recommendations with a time-bound action plan.
An important issue that was raised in the meeting of the Group was in regard to implementation of the schemes already in vogue for the benefit of SC/ST and minorities. It was felt that implementation deserves special attention and, therefore, the Group would strongly recommend that the implementation of schemes undertaken by the Central and State Governments for the benefit of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as well as for the benefit of educationally backward minorities should be strengthened and made more effective. There must be time-bound action plan for achievement of specified targets.
223
Education for Scheduled Castes And Scheduled Tribes Shri R.K. Sinha, Additional Secretary, Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development apprised the Group of the recommendations of various committees on the subject, action taken thereon by the Central and State Governments and the need for including some Centrally Sponsored Schemes in respect of SC/ST and Minorities. He further stated that the National Policy on Education was finalised after an intensive national debate and a detailed action plan entitled Programme of Action was drawn up in pursuance thereof. Pointing out to the features of the National Policy on Education, the he said that the policy as contained in the above document is complete in all respects. The Group, therefore, felt that there was no need for any change in the policy formulation in so far as education of SC/ST is concerned. However, as stated above, since implementation was not as effective as the Group would have liked it to be, the Group felt that POA to be drawn up in pursuance of the National Policy on Education as well as of the recommendations made hereunder should be substantially recast.
The Group was concerned about the high drop-out rates amongst SC/ST students. The drop-out rates for the year 1987-88 amongst general, SC and ST population are given below:-
Classes SC ST General
I-V 51.60 65.21 46.97
I-VIII 68.81 80.01 62.29
I-X 81.98 87.62 75.30
224
In order to substantially improve the situation the Group felt that the thrust on removal of disparities and equalisation of educational opportunities by catering to the specific needs of SCs and STs will have to be continued and strengthened.
The Group then reviewed the developments in education since the formulation of the National Policy on Education which have bearing on the Policy.
The major schemes such as Operation Blackboard, National Literacy Mission, DIETs, Navodaya Vidyalayas, etc., were started in pursuance of NPE. In Operation Blackboard, NFE and NLM priority is given to blocks with concentration of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections. Grant-in-aid to voluntary organisations are also sanctioned on the principle of giving priority to these areas. The scheme of Non-Formal Education as an alternative and supplement to formal education was initiated in the Sixth Plan. Under this Central assistance is given to educationally backward States of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, J&K, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, U.P. and West Bengal. This was extended to cover urban slums hilly, desert, tribal and inaccessible areas.
In Navodaya Vidyalayas, the percentage of admission of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is 18 per cent and 12 per cent respectively which is higher than their national population percentage of 15 per cent and 7.5 per cent.
The Department of Education started a scheme
225
exclusively for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for providing special and remedial coaching at the Secondary Education level in order to improve the merit and get admission in prestigious professional institutions. Under this programme, students are provided admission to good residential schools and are given coaching from classes IX-XII.
The Ministry of Welfare which is the nodal ministry for the development of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes has been implementing a number of incentive schemes for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. These include:
i) Post-matric scholarships for SC/ST;
ii) Pre-matric scholarships for the children of those engaged in unclean occupations;
iii) National overseas Scholarships;
iv) Girls Hostels for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes;
V) Book Banks for SC/ST students studying in Medical and Engineering Colleges and Coaching Scheme for preparing students for competitive examinations.
Welfare Ministry introduced the following two new schemes after the formulation of NPE.
i) Assistance to State Governments for setting up Ashram schools.
ii) Assistance for construction of Boys Hostel for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Earlier this assistance was given only to construction of Girls Hostels.
226
In the light of the discussions and in the background of available reports and data on the subject, the Group on Education of SC/ST and Minorities in the 46th meeting of the CABE held on March 8- 9, 1991 are still valid and every effort should be made to implement all of them earnestly. The Group would like to make reference to the following recommendations:-
(i) Adequate funds should be earmarked for the education sector under Special Component Plan/Tribal Sub-Plan of the States, UTs and also of the Department of Education. This will ensure a strong educational base at the primary and pre-primary stage.
(ii) Special drives should be organised at the beginning of every academic session to enroll all school age male and female children belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. For this purpose the active assistance of voluntary agencies should be taken.
(iii) In all the SC and ST habitations with viable population of school-age children there should invariably be a primary school. In order to provide easy access, there should be an ashram school/NFE centre for scattered populations of SC and ST.
(iv) The schools in SC and ST habitations should be equipped with all infrastructural facilities.
(v) Direct costs of education should be adequately met. There should be provision of adequate incentives in the form of scholarships, uniforms, textbooks, stationery and mid-day meals.
227
(vi) The above facilities are particularly necessary for the children of the vulnerable groups among Scheduled Castes such as sweepers, scavengers, flayers, tanners, bonded-labourers, nomadic/semi-nomadic and denotified tribes.
(vii.) The indigent families among SCs/STs. should be given some incentives as a compensation for opportunity cost to send their children (particularly girls) to schools. This would avoid drop-outs at the primary and elementary levels.
(viii) Under the Scheme of post-matric scholarships, the rates should be revised periodically keeping in view the increase in the cost of living index.
(ix) Under the scheme of-book banks for SCs/STs, it would be advisable to give a set of books to each of SC/ST student.
(x) As far as possible, adult literacy centres should be established in SC/ST habitations so as to attract more and more illiterate adults to these communities. There should be adequate post-literacy centres to follow up the result achieved.
(xi) Adequate reservation for SC/ST should be provided in the public and private convents and the expenditure involved in admitting SC/ST poor children in these schools should be met by the Government.
(xii) There should be Advisory Bodies. to review and oversee
228
the implementation of the educational programmes for SCs/STs at block, district, State and Central levels. SC/ST people should be adequately represented in these Bodies.
(xiii) Wherever teachers are not available in schools located near SC/ST localities, crash programme under a Centrally Sponsored Schemes for giving suitable training to eligible persons from SCs and STs should be started; and the eligible among them should be appointed in these schools.
(xiv) The delivery system should be streamlined and made effective. Arrangements for sanctioning and disbursing scholarship should also be revamped to ensure prompt payment.
(xv) In sports activities, it should be ensured that in those sports and games which are an integral part of the tribal way of life such as archery and javeline, the ST boys and ST girls from amongst students should be given additional incentives and encouragement.
(xvi) The existing Central or Centrally sponsored schemes should be continued and also expanded wherever possible to ensure effective implementation of all recommendations found above.
(xvii) There is need to incorporate in the school curriculum the philosophy of Dr. Ambedkar which emphasises an unremitting effort to alleviate the educational standards of the SC/ST persons, an inculcation of an understanding among teachers and students about the
229
richness of the culture of SC/ST and of their contribution to culture and economy.
The Group fully endorsed the recommendations made by the CABE Committee on Policy (Janardhana Reddy Committee Report) on the Education of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The recommendations are summarised below:-
(i) No Policy reformulation is necessary. The POA should be substantially revised in the light of the recommendations made by the Group.
(ii) A single focal agency should be identified in each State for the purpose of monitoring the programmes and reporting to the Central Government.
(iii) A standing CABE Committee on education of SCs, STs and other educationally backward sections should be constituted; educationists from these groups should have representation in that Committee.
(iv) While instruction should be child-centred and cater to individual differences, it is not advisable to differentiate students in the matter of syllabus and curriculum.
The Group further recommended:-
(i) In areas of concentration of tribal population, particularly those which are far flung, inaccessible and remote, opening of adult literacy centres should be strengthened.These centres should also provide food to the learners to make the centres more attractive to
230
them.
(ii) With a view to upgrading the merit of SC/ST girls studying in class X, coaching should be given to some girls in each district and then a select group scholar- ship in classes X-XII. This scheme has been recently started by the Government of Rajasthan. The Group recommends this scheme he adopted by other States also.
(iii) A chain pace setting institutions - from primary to higher secondary - separately for boys and girls should be established in the areas of tribal/scheduled caste concentration for these deprived groups not only for providing quality education to the talented learners but also to admit comparatively slow learners and upgrade their level so as to enable them to compete successfully with the rest.
(iv)The scheme of improving the merit of SC/ST children by giving them remedial teaching and special training for competitive exams at plus two stage has a condition of giving the benefit to SC/ST children only through residential schools. There are very few Government residential schools and private residential schools are only for affluent people charging very high fees. Therefore, a good school management having no residential school but willing to run vacation courses/ weekend courses/out of school hours coaching for SC/ST children and preparing them should receive financial
231
assistance based on their performance.
(v) It is necessary to use the principle of 'from known to unknown' while teaching language to a tribal child for the first time in Class I. This does not mean that there should be separate curriculum for tribal children. However, preparing textbooks using learning situations familiar to tribal children through their dialect will considerably help them to pick up the regional language gradually. Directory of tribal words and textbooks bases on tribal vocabulary and tribal environment supplemented by translation of the content in regional language and putting it together with a tribal dialect lesson will help teaching learning process.
(vi) In areas sparsely populated by tribals, it is not possible to open formal schools in small habitations. In such circumstances an Ashram school is opened in a central village for such children. Instead of opening a new residential Ashram school in the interiors of a tribal area, if a hostel is provided at a place where general school is available, it is possible to integrate tribal children with non-tribal children in the same, school so that expenditure on opening a new school can be avoided. This may, however, be not possible in areas having concentration of tribals. In such situations a separate Ashram school is justified.
232
Minorities Education Shri R. K. Sinha apprised the Group of the recommendations of various committees in respect of education of educationally backward minorities and stated that a time-bound action plan is absolutely necessary in this sector. After discussing the matter in all its detail and depth, the following recommendations are made in respect of educationally backward minorities:-
(i) The Group fully endorsed the recommendations of CABE Committee on Policy (Janardhana Reddy Committee Report) on Educationally Backward Minorities. However, it felt that the title of the Chapter (Chapter 4) which reads "Education of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Educationally Backward Minorities" to keep the focus on the deprived minorities.
(ii) The Group also agreed with the view of the Janardhana Reddy Committee that no policy reformulation is necessary in respect of education of minorities. However, the POA should be substantially revised in the light of the recommendations made hereunder.
(iii) The Group also endorsed the recommendation that monitoring of the implementation of the guidelines for recognition of minority-managed educational institutions is better left to the State Governments, as they are deeply conscious of the need for proper monitoring and many organisations like the Minorities Commission already exist for the purpose of monitoring.
233
The Group also made the following recommendations in respect of educationally backward minorities:-
(i) In school education and adult education sectors, areas of concentration of educationally backward minorities should be taken care of by an Area Approach with Block as a unit where specially designed programmes should be implemented to ensure accelerated progress.
In the higher education sector, educational trusts, foundations and non-Governmental organisations may be supported and strengthened to cater to the educational needs of educationally backward minorities.