Abstract:
This paper examines the educational status of children from the
Munda, Kolha, and Santal tribals with survey data from three blocks of
Mayurbhanj district, which has the highest concentration of tribal
population in Odisha. The result shows that the dropout rate is higher in
the age group of 15-16 years (secondary level), as compared to 6-14
years (primary level). Among the three communities, Kolha children are
more likely to discontinue their schooling at the primary level than
Munda and Santal children, whereas the dropout rate of children from
the three communities is almost the same at the secondary level. The
completion rate of children is higher for Munda and Kolha than Santal
children at the secondary level. The educational attainments of children
are affected by several factors. The paper also briefly discusses how the
COVID-19 pandemic has affected the access of tribal children to
schooling owing to the digital divide and what the National Policy of
Education, 2020 (NEP, 2020) could imply for tribal children. The NEP
2020 neither acknowledges the problems wrought by the unprecedented
pandemic and other longstanding issues related to tribal education nor
suggests any creative roadmap to address these issues. The paper explores
the need for the state to evolve a tribe specific policy for primary and
secondary education in view of structural problems that impede advances
in schooling outcomes in scheduled areas in the country
