Tribal Education: Status Study of Ashram Schools in Karnataka

The present study traces the Ashram school programmes in imparting general and formal education, role of teachers and tribal parents in educating the tribal children, the achievement (success in school academic and non-academic subjects), the overall functioning of Ashram Schools and to evaluate the effectiveness of the incentives provided by the Government, the Government policy in the recruitment, training, administration, monitoring and overall supervision of the Ashram Schools and to suggest suitable measures to the Government for the effective functioning of Ashram schools in Karnataka. The main objective of this study is to take a comprehensive view of the status study on the functioning of Ashram Schools in tribal areas of Karnataka such as the learning difficulties of tribal children, contemporary reality of the functioning of Ashram Schools, State Provisions and school participation of tribal children, their educational inequalities, constraints of educational opportunity of tribal children, the quality of Ashram Schools and to study the school related problems. The present study is the outcome of the extensive field work and field survey conducted in 50 selected Ashram Schools of the 27 districts of Karnataka keeping in view the broad objectives of the work and the advice of State and District Educational Authority, Questionnaires, Achievement tests, Pilot study, Administering of the tools, Data collection were made use of. Apart from head teachers, teachers, students, wardens, ex-students, administrators, tribal parents in the selected Ashram schools were taken into consideration for the study. The present work offers an indepth analysis of the problems of Ashram school education based on extensive field work. No systematic study of functioning of Ashram schools in Karnataka in respect to academic inputs like curriculum, teaching-learning material, training of teachers has been undertaken so far. Even if such studies have been undertaken they are confined to micro level survey. It is not empirically validated as to how these inputs particularly curriculum would contribute to improve the achievement level of tribal children. The present study makes an attempt to evaluate various segments of the functioning of Ashram School Programme through intensive field work and field survey in order to make a suggestive measure for the better functioning of Ashram Schools in Karnataka in particular and India in general.