EDUCATIONAL STATUS OF SCHEDULED TRIBES: Attainment and Challenges

The volume presents findings of a large scale national survey sponsored by ICSSR on Education Status of Scheduled Tribes (STs) in India. The study covers 69 districts across 15 states. Though the research is primarily focused on STs, it also studies non-STs as a control group. The findings are based on a survey of 14,924 ST and 5,919 non-ST households, 15,575 ST and 4,924 non-ST students studying at different levels – upper primary, secondary, higher secondary and college – from government and private schools/colleges. The study focuses on three dimensions of the institutional education system: (1) the socio-economic and cultural background of the students which enable or hinder them to get access to educational institutions at different levels; (2) institutional setup and its function where the students enter, interact with teachers and other students and undergo the process of learning; and (3) aspirations and performance of the students in the examinations. The questions that the study probe are:
• What is the nature of educational institutions in terms of physical and human infrastructure?
• What is the perception and behaviour of teachers towards ST and non-SC/ST students in the schools and colleges?
• What kind of learning process do the students get and the problems they encounter in educational institutions?
• Whether the cultural values related to tribe/ethnic community/caste and ascribed status that the children learn in a family have been weakened in educational institutions which are expected to be modern and secular?
• What are the educational and career aspirations of ST students at different levels?
The data presented here would be valuable not only for further research, but also for policymakers, educationalists and social activists. The volume would be useful to all students of social sciences in general, and sociology, anthropology, development studies and policy sciences, in particular.

Ghanshyam Shah is an independent researcher based in Ahmedabad. He is a former Professor of Social Sciences at Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. He was also Director, Centre for Social Studies, Surat and Dr. Ambedkar Chair Professor (1996–97) at LBS National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie.
K. Sujatha is former Professor and Head, Department of Educational Administration, National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), New Delhi.
Sukhadeo Thorat is Professor Emeritus, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is a former Chairman of University Grant Commission and Indian Council of Social Science Research. He is also the Chairman of Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, New Delhi and Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore.