Functioning of Ekalabya Model Residential Schools and Their Impact on Enhancement in The Educational Attainment and World View of Tribal Students

Abstract

Transforming tribal society through education is a challenging task before the government. Improvement of human resource has wider impact and it becomes indispensable to development. Thus, development strategies in educational sector in favor of tribal communities are likely to reduce the gap between the tribal and non tribal societies in sharing the development benefits. Recently government of India realized that one of the development targets is to devote a considerable amount of fund in favor of tribal education through ST and SC development department of the concerned state authorities in order to promote, support and respect quality education. It is essential to have curriculum development and create opportunities for higher education. This will definitely empower the tribal communities. Education like health has been one of the important pillars of development For this development initiatives have been made in areas of tribal education to empowered through development initiatives holistically. Of many, the effective long term investments, the establishment of Ekalabya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) as the continuum of services is one. During 9th Five Year Plan period, Govt. of India Ministry of Tribal affaires Govt of India decided to establish 100 Ekalabya Model Residential Schools diverting a part of the allocation under the Article 275 (1) of the Constitution of India towards Capital (Non-Recurring) and Recurring cost of this type of schools established in different States. The purpose of EMRS is not only for all round development of the tribal students but also to tap the tribal talents and nurture them by imparting quality education from Class VI to XII all over the country using modern technology. Care was taken to impart education with balanced combination of curricular, extra-curricular and vocational activities. However, no development program should escape periodic evaluation even where feedback mechanism exists. There are 11 EMRS started functioning mostly in Tribal Sub Plan areas under the aegis of Orissa Model Tribal Education Society (OMTES), an integral administrative unit under the control of ST and SC Development Department, Govt. of Orissa. To asses the degree of achievement and to bring out the improvement in the organization structure of schools and in learning process of the students, SCSTRTI took up this evaluation study on a sample basis. The findings of the research dwells around assessing status of delivering quality education and locating lapses in it, evaluating infrastructure and provision of incentives and related factors that influence the students performance and change of worldview. The study is based on primary and secondary data collected from four sample EMRS, concerned functionaries and stakeholders by using universal research tools. As regard the facilities for students and lapses in delivering the services the observed events are interesting. The facilities include free food, cots, blankets, mosquito nets, uniforms, text books, sports materials, pocket money , pass book and medical facility to boarders; supply of electricity and safe drinking water to schools and hostels , First Aid Boxes besides the provision of monthly health check up. For creativity and to increase awareness Wall Magazine board, displaying art/paintings/songs/essays of the students are found fixed on the wall at the entrance of the schools. For talent retention and better grooming remedial and guidance classes are held for the relatively weaker students.