Drop-out rate high among tribals

hyderabad: though the andhra pradesh government spends nearly 65 per cent of the rs 320 crore of the tribal welfare budget on education of tribal children, the dropout rate is very high at 71 per cent, according to a note prepared by the commissioner of tribal welfare. expenditure on education of tribals has been consistently growing. the expenditure for 2001-2002 is rs 185 crore, almost double of the rs 99 crore spent in 1996-1997.the government spends huge amounts on various institutions like maa-badi schools, girijan vidya vikas kendras, ashram schools and residential schools. though the schools manage a 79 per cent enrolment, they have not been able to contain the high dropout rate. according to a senior official of the department, the government needs to do a rethink on its policies as the educational schemes do not address the requirements of the tribals.the concept of education, which is culturally alien to tribals, is not being localised to the need of the tribals.the note prepared in april 2001 mentions that despite the efforts of the government, there is no considerable progress in educational development of tribal communities due to economic factors, poverty, illiteracy of parents, child labour and lack of parental demand. social factors hampering educational development are lack of access, incomplete schools, teacher absenteeism, poor quality of teaching and unserviceable curriculum. the note points out the administrative lapses as lack of co-ordination among different managements, delay in supplies and incentives and lack of enrolment campaigns. though the education department is responsible for providing education, in view of the above special conditions the tribal welfare department is looking after the needs of the primary, upper primary and high school education of the tribals. according to tribal welfare department secretary c r biswal, the issue of education to tribals cannot be looked at in isolation. he adds that other than the complex administrative problems of access and inadequate infrastructure "the importance of education to improve their lives is not realised by the parents, unlike those living in cities".