Out of School Children: A Compilation on the Educational Status of Maharashtra’s Nomadic and Denotified Tribes

FOCUS

This report was compiled by Dinanath Waghmare, founder member of Sangharsh Wahini, an activist collective working for the rights of nomadic and denotified tribes. It was published by Human Rights Law Network, New Delhi on March 29, 2015. The report brings together a variety of literature concerning the educational status of the Nomadic and Denotified tribes of Maharashtra. 

Using varied data sources including a Government of India sample survey conducted between February and May 2009 as well as a survey conducted by Sangharsh Wahini, the report outlines the widespread inaccessibility to education faced by tribal children. It also includes an introduction to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. The report claims that an overwhelming percentage of students belonging to nomadic tribes had never been to school even after the implementation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. It points out the deficiencies in the implementation of the 2009 Act and highlights the plight of children who are compelled to take care of their siblings, participate in domestic work, earn money to support their families and even beg on the streets instead of attending school. 

The 139-page report is divided into 10 chapters: National Policy on Education (Chapter 1); National Level Report for Out of School Children (Chapter 2); Recommendation of Committees established for Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (Chapter 3); Innovative Projects for Inclusion of Out of School Children (Chapter 4); RTE Norms and its fulfillment (Chapter 5); Affecting factors for Out of School Children (Chapter 6); Enrollment in the School (Chapter 7); Out of School Children in Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (Chapter 8); List of Out of School Children of Denotified and Nomadic Tribe (Chapter 9); and Data Tables (Chapter 10).

    FACTOIDS

  1. Between 2006-07 and 2013-14, a total of 22.69 lakh children were not enrolled in schools, indicating a significant number of children deprived of education for eight years. Despite the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act on April 1, 2010, approximately 6.07 lakh children remained out of school between 2010-11 and 2013-14.

  2. According to UNICEF data from May 2009, 41 per cent of children in Maharashtra had dropped out of school while 59 per cent had never been enrolled in school.

  3. The dropout rate among students belonging to Nomadic Tribes (NT) and Denotified Tribes (DNT) was higher compared to other minority communities. According to the survey conducted by Sangharsh Wahini, 75 per cent of children from NTs and DNTs who resided in pal podas or Pardhi bedas have never had the opportunity to attend school.

  4. In the year 2013-14, a total of 117,369 children from NT and DNT communities dropped out of school, the report states. The rate of dropouts is higher in secondary and higher secondary classes compared to primary classes.

  5. The report notes that 27 per cent of children are out of school due to poverty. It adds that 15.6 per cent of children are engaged in domestic work, assisting their parents in work, taking care of siblings, or contributing to household responsibilities. Further, parents considering education unimportant accounts for 5.09 per cent of children being out of school. Around 8.12 per cent children suffer from disabilities or poor health preventing them from attending school whereas 7.61 per cent lack interest in studying.

  6. The average age of marriage for girls in the country is 17.4 years, the report notes. The percentage of teenage (15-19 years old) mothers is 19.1 per cent in rural areas and 8.7 per cent in urban areas. Early marriage is one of the main factors for the high dropout rate among girls – 46 per cent.

  7. The report found that the dropout rates among children from NT, DNT, and Muslim communities were higher due to social exclusion, poverty, socio-economic status and migration.

  8. Noting violations of the Right to Education Act, the report says that 31,377 schools in Maharashtra (30.3 per cent) lacked female teachers. The Act guidelines advocate for a minimum of 50 per cent female teachers, but records indicate that only 43.1 per cent of the employed teachers are women, the report adds.

  9. The report suggests the development of a ‘child tracking system’ which can trace children of school-age who are not enrolled or have dropped out. It also recommends provision of government scholarships for students from the NT/DNT communities.

  10. Advocating for a mobile education system for nomadic communities, the report also speaks for the betterment of their socio-economic status by developing economic schemes and increased representation in government bodies.


    Focus and Factoids by Daanish Narayan.

AUTHOR

Dinanath Waghmare

Editors: Anna R. Jay and Imon Roy

COPYRIGHT

Human Rights Law Network, New Delhi

PUBLICATION DATE

29 ಮಾರ್ಚ್, 2015

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