Education and Employment of Tribes in AP - A Sociological Study of Koyas

Abstract

The education of tribals was neglected before independence although some Christian missionaries and private agencies were encouraged by the Government and later Government started separate schools for them. A good number of such schools exist today. For the purpose of the research, the Warrangal district have been chosen and the representative sample method employed for the study. The study is quantitative and qualitative the methods like non-participant observation, focus groups interview, Ethno methodology, PRA/PLA were used for the collection of primary data. The secondary data collected from published texts, journals, monographs, reports and other research work. The sketch of the Koyas, the subject under study is presented in this report. The study found that 63.47 per cent of the tribal of the Mandal ST males are literate and 37.05 per cent females are literate. On observation of general survey on education reveals that the tribal women express the need of more encouragement in terms education facilities and provisions. The study noticed that a declining trend is seen in enrollment aspect in Ashram school meant for tribals. A close observation of the strength from VIII to X class reveals that, the enrollment is decreasing, as the academic year progress, the strength is decreasing, and poses a general threat to the enrollment particularly from the last 4 academic years. The performance of the students at the terminal examination indicates that they are really encouraging as more than almost 75 per cent from 2007-08 onwards pass out in terminal examination. It is revealing finding that the employment situation as seen in the Gangaram GTWAHS out of 44 teaching and non-teaching position about 40 belong to various tribal people, among whom about 27 i.e more than 61 per cent are filled up by tribal belong to Koya and followed by 12 of them i.e more than 27 percent are grabbed by a single tribe i.e Lambada and hence as perceived by the elders, parent and the teachers that Lambada tribe is a more potential opponent to the local native inhabitant tribe. An appraisal of social map, resource map and mobility map express good scene and the village in scale and progress. It is noticed from Tadvai village, the performance of education is measured in terms in take and pass-out, the trend seems to be healthy and maintained normally. The study noticed that English medium was taken with enthusiasm, but the strength declined. The native local Koya girls prefer residential education and are taking advantage of Ashram schools. The employment chances of local are grabbed away the tribes, where dominant other wise owing to their migrant and other qualities. Illegal recruitment process, violating the G.Os. stipulating to prefer local are said to be chief reasons for such sad episode, and the local tribes feel that they must be removed immediately. Teacher organization of locals plead that there must be educational employment linkage and plants, strategies must be adopted to suit tribe specific situations and crave for a separate legal body look into all deviation, denials.