Keeping Adivasi children in schools

The notion of “nation-state” assumes the culture of any nation as homogeneous by appropriating the society’s heterogeneous elements. Adivasi societies are heterogeneous in nature with diversified features in terms of multi-lingualism, jati (caste) composition, kinship, the institution of marriage, political systems, and religious practices. Community life takes precedence over individual well-being in Adivasi communities. The cultural differences between mainstream society and Adivasi society are one of the main reasons for not acknowledging the role of tradition and informal learning thereby contributing to the educational and cultural alienation in the schools.

In addition to this, the British rulers and the theories of internal colonialism and development have propagated a few unjust notions towards Adivasi societies, such as “illiterate,” “backward,” “underdeveloped,” “uncivilised,” and “inferior.” This has created a mindset among post-colonial policymakers to follow the policy of assimilation. Jati- or caste-based discrimination against Adivasis is widely prevalent yet unchecked by the institutions of governance in education.

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The existing formal schooling system is culturally different for Adivasis when compared to that of their traditional learning centres. The importance of the Gotul system among the Muria community, particularly in the Bastar region, is well studied and documented by anthropologists. It is a social institution that trains the children and younger generation about their values, culture, and even democracy; largely, it is a citizenship-enabling institution (CEI). Article 350A of the Constitution states that “it shall be the endeavour of every state and of every local authority within the state to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage of education to children belonging to linguistic minority groups...” One of the primary reasons for the high rate of dropout among Adivasis in school is a language barrier. The medium of instruction is either Hindi or English, both of which are alien to Adivasis.

The education system, which is insensitive to the local people’s mother tongue, language, and local dialect, becomes culturally insignificant. This does not mean that Adivasis need not learn Hindi or English; the argument is that the states should make attempts to provide primary education in the mother tongue of Adivasis. This will enable more Adivasi children to attend the formal schooling system and generate curiosity among youth so that the retention rate increases. It is very important to revitalise the local languages and dialects to improve education in tribal areas.

An effort has to be made to translate the textbooks into their own dialects to instil interest and confidence among the Adivasi communities. This was even recommended by the National Policy on Education 1986: “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.” Following this, there are a few attempts made by the states of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra to prepare text books in Adivasi languages and local dialects. The National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020 finds that “Tribal communities and children from Scheduled Tribes also face disadvantages at multiple levels due to various historical and geographical factors. Children from tribal communities often find their school education irrelevant and foreign to their lives, both culturally and academically.” It recommended the design of special mechanisms for the educational upliftment of Adivasis.

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Revisit NEP

One of the critical issues is the non-recognition of the Adivasi languages in the eighth schedule. The non-recognition of Adivasi languages in the eighth schedule is due to the politics of domination by mainstream society over Adivasi society. It has prevented legal, institutional, and constitutional support for the Adivasi languages. By not including the tribal languages in the eighth schedule, mainstream society has precluded the Adivasi languages from attaining political salience and significance, thereby depriving them of their fundamental rights at primary education levels. Deprivation of education in the mother tongue is the fundamental root cause of all other forms of alienation, i.e., cultural, economic, ecological, and political, in a given society.

Unless efforts are made to mitigate the cultural and institutional factors hindering the educational attainment of Adivasis, it would be difficult to envisage an equal and just democratic society. The perpetuating social inequities in the education system and the perception of mainstream society towards Adivasis need to change to bring about attitudinal and societal transformation.

This is critical in ensuring the proper recognition of Adivasi societies as literally unique entities with a diversified traditional education system.

Inequitable access to educational opportunities, the neglect of Adivasi languages, and an insufficient number of teachers in schools are some of the other yet critical contributing factors to the Adivasis’ low educational attainment.

(The writer is a PhD Fellow in Political Science, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru.)