The decision of the Tribal Welfare Department to restrict teaching in ‘satellite’ schools up to Class III, instead of Class V, starting this academic year has rattled the Kolam Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in former undivided Adilabad district.
Fearing increase in drop-out rate because of the decision, Kolam Adivasis have appealed that the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Utnoor, must continue education in these primary education institutions till Class V.
In a recent development, the Department decided to fix strength in primary schools, including satellite schools run by Utnoor ITDA going by available infrastructure, and enrol excess students in nearby ashram schools. “We are doing away with classes IV and V in the satellite schools based on this criterion,” said ITDA Project Officer S. Krishna Aditya.
Defeats purpose
Opposing the plan to downgrade the satellite schools, Kolam elder Tekam Chinna Mokashi of Saleguda village in Utnoor mandal, argued: “This defeats the very purpose of establishing these ‘residential’ institutions which have the involvement of our community too.” “These units of primary education, nine of them established in Kolam habitations so far since 2004-05, are meant to provide focussed education to Kolam children in a cultural atmosphere which is not alien to them,” he asserted making a fervent plea to maintain status quo.
Change of atmosphere
Having found the drop-out rate to be high among primary school students of this rather ‘shy-natured’ PVTG, the ITDA had opened satellite schools in Kolam habitations so that the students could study up to Class V in conducive cultural atmosphere in their own villages.
An average of 160 students study in each of such schools at Saleguda, Pothaguda in Adilabad mandal; Arjuni Kolamguda and Chintaguda in Gadiguda mandal; Sadalpur in Bela mandal (all in Adilabad district), Gowri in Jainoor, Sungapur in Tiryani, Chaupanguda in Wankidi, Routa Sankepalli in Asifabad mandal of Kumram Bheem Asifabad district.
In Saleguda satellite school alone, some 75 students belonging to class IV and V, of the total strength of 171, have been shifted to Mankapur (girls) and Yenda (boys) Ashram High Schools. “These children will most likely end up as drop-outs if they are forced to study in the Ashram school,” warned Saleguda elder Kodapa Motiram.
The villagers pointed to the absence of students attributing it to the downgrading of classes. “Here, the students have the support of the community in all aspects,” observed village headman or patel Athram Rama Rao.
