POLICY PRESCRIPTIONS
 

1. NATIONAL POLICY ON EDUCATION (NPE), 1986

The National Policy on Education, 1986, as updated in 1992, lays special emphasis on removal of disparities and equalisation of educational opportunities by attending to the special needs of those who have been denied equality so far. The NPE provides policy directives for special efforts to be aimed at educationally disadvantaged groups, particularly the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

On the education of Scheduled Castes, the NPE says:

The Central focus in the Scheduled Castes' educational development is their equalisation with the non-SC population at all stages and levels of education, in all areas and in all the four dimensions -- rural male, rural female, urban male and urban female.

The measures contemplated for this purpose include :

(i) Incentives to indigent families to send their children to school regularly till they reach the age of 14;

(ii) Pre-matric Scholarship scheme for children of families engaged in occupations such as scavenging, flaying and tanning to be made applicable from class I onwards] All children of such families, regardless of incomes, will be covered by this scheme and time-bound programmes targeted on them will be undertaken.

(iii) Constant micro-planning and verification to ensure that the enrolment', retention and successful completion of courses by SC students do not fall at any stage, and provision of remedial courses to improve their prospects for further education and employment:

(iv) Recruitment of teachers from Scheduled Castes.

(v) Provision of facilities for SC students in students' hostels at district headquarters, according to a phased programme;

(vi) Location of school buildings, Balwadis and Adult Education Centres in such a way as to facilitate MI participation of the Scheduled Castes;

(vii) The utilization of Jawahar Rozgar Yojana resources so as to make substantial educational facilities available to the Scheduled Castes; and

(viii) Constant innovation in finding new methods to increase the participation of the Scheduled Castes in the educational process.

On the education of Scheduled Tribes, the NPE says:

The following measures will be taken urgently to bring the Scheduled Tribes on par with others :-

(i) Priority will be accorded to opening primary schools in tribal areas. The construction of school buildings will be undertaken in these areas on a priority basis under the normal funds for education, as well as under the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana, Tribal Welfare schemes, etc.;

(ii) The socio-cultural milieu of the STs has its distinctive characteristics including, in many cases, their own spoken languages. This underlines the need to develop the curricula and devise instructional materials in tribal languages at the initial stages, with arrangements for switching over to the regional language:

(iii) Educated and promising Scheduled Tribe youths will be encouraged and trained to take up teaching in tribal areas;

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(iv) Residential schools. including, Ashram Schools, will be established on a large scale;

(v) Incentive schemes will be formulated for the Scheduled Tribes, keeping in view their special needs and life styles. Scholarships for higher education will emphasise technical,. professional and paraprofessional courses. Special remedial courses and other programmes to remove psycho-social impediments will be provided to improve their performance in various courses,

(vi) Anganwadis, Non-Formal and Adult Education centres will be opened on a priority basis in areas predominantly inhabited by the Scheduled Tribes; and

(vii) The curriculum at all stages of education will be designed to create an awareness of the rich cultural identity of the tribal people as also of their enormous creative talent.

2. PROGRAMME OF ACTION (POA), 1992

Pursuant to modification of the NPE, 1986 in 1992, a new Programme of Action (POA) was prepared in 1992, setting forth detailed strategies for achieving the policy objectives. The POA has devoted an entire chapter (Chapter 2) for the programmes for the educational development of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward sections. The following are the major measures for educational development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes:

- Giving priority in opening primary and upper primary schools to the needs of SC habitations and hamlets.

- Provision of a primary school in every Scheduled Tribe habitation before the end of Eighth Five Year Plan.

- Implementation of an educational plan in tribal areas, in an integrated manner. Linkage of Pre-School education, Non-Formal Education, Elementary Education and Adult Education to ensure achievement of total literacy of the entire population.

- Provision for non-formal and distance education centres, where in places SC children are not able to attend the formal schools.

- Provision of adequate incentives to the children of indigent families of SC/ST in the form of scholarships, uniforms, text-books, stationary and mid-day meals, particularly in the girls' schools.

- Coverage of all tribal areas and Harijan Basties under Operation Black-Board scheme within a period of two years.

- Provision for teaching the children from tribal communities through their mother tongue in the earlier stages in primary schools.

- Availability of standard teaching/training material, especially in areas where the standard language and dialect are different.

- Ensuring the achievement of MLL already set up for primary schools.

- Making adult education programme, an integral part of educational micro-planning in all tribal areas.

- Focusing on SC/ST population under Total Literacy Compaign to achieve total literacy.

- Setting up of Post, Literacy Centres in SC/ST areas.

- Organisation of coaching, training and remedial teaching classes in order to enhance the scholastic achievement.

- Provision of additional scholarships for SC/ST girl students in secondary and senior secondary classes.

- Effective implementation of reservation in admission and recruitment of teachers in all educational institutions.

- Reservation in admission in Navodaya Vidyalayas either on the basis of national norms or at the percentage Of SC/ ST population proportion in the district, whichever is higher.

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- Provision of reservation in private/aided educational institutions receiving grant-in-aid.

- Encouraging SC/ST students to become teachers. To ensure ability of teachers. crash programmes for giving training will be started.

- Establishing a chain of pace-setting Institutions from primary to higher secondary in areas of SC/ST concentration for providing quality education.

- Improving the standards of hostels for SC/ST students.

- Inclusion of philosophy of Dr. Ambedkar in school curriculum.

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