Introduction
India’s tribal people are among the most disadvantaged people due to several challenges, such as poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, and settlement issues. Out of these, illiteracy has remained one of the significant determinants of social, political, and economic outcomes of the tribal communities. India has the largest concentration of tribal people in the world, totaling over 10.2 billion, representing approximately 8.6% of the country’s total population (Mohan, 2020).
Although the Indian government has continued to establish good education standards for all people, tribal communities have continued to experience high illiteracy levels, dropouts, and unequal socioeconomic outcomes. According to Rupavath (2021), after more than seven decades of independence, tribal communities have recorded the highest dropout rates of 70.9%. Gender inequality, poverty, and parental illiteracy have contributed to high illiteracy rates, necessitating the development of crucial intervention measures such as free education, grants, and nationwide awareness campaigns targeting India’s tribal population.
Causes of Illiteracy among India’s Tribal Population
Parental Illiteracy
Many parents with limited literacy may not stress enough the value of education. Mohan (2020) explains that many people who grow up in uneducated families eventually become illiterate adults. In India, this is particularly true in rural places and tribal communities, where many older people lack formal education. The opposite is true for individuals raised by parents with extensive educational backgrounds. They ensure their kids have a good education because they understand the importance of sending them to school.
Gender Inequality
A large number of cultural obstacles, such as limitations on girls’ access to school in some nations, cause illiteracy among the afflicted people. According to Ali and Ahmad (2018), only 65.46 percent of Indian women are literate, based on the results of the 2011 census. This indicates that around 35% of women are uneducated (Ali & Ahmad, 2018). Women have been denied the right to an education for a very long period, especially for the tribal communities, most of whom solely attend school as a preparation for marriage.
Poverty
It is challenging for low-income parents to afford school fees. According to Rupavath (2021), they are compelled to make choices between sending their children to school and meeting their basic requirements. Due to the absence of training and expertise, poor tribal households often resort to manual labor to provide for their families (Mohan, 2020). As a result, the emphasis shifts away from obtaining an education and toward generating cash to remain in society.
Possible Solutions to Control Illiteracy
Free Education
Free education offered by the government in institutions of learning can significantly lower the illiteracy rate in India by encouraging more individuals to attend school. Providing free and compulsory schooling, especially for children aged 4-14, may raise the percentage of those attending school (Ali & Ahmad, 2018). Moreover, the government needs to implement policies and rules for public schools to offer meals to students to increase student enrolment, participation, and persistence
Creating Awareness
Raising knowledge about the value of education can assist in making the case for why students should attend school. Non-governmental groups, governmental bodies, and other interested parties should implement concerted efforts to raise public awareness and reduce the number of illiterate people (Mohan, 2020). Informing the Indian tribal community on the importance of educating not just the boys but the girls, too, would help reduce early marriages and school dropouts.
Grants
By providing funding, support, and scholarships, schools can lessen the financial strain placed on parents and students to pay for education. It would enable students to continue their studies without being prevented by a lack of school expenses. In addition, parents would direct the funds that would have gone toward school fees into other income-generating ventures (Rupavath, 2021). For people who struggle with poverty, the expense of supporting education could be too much.
A Tribal Policy Brief in India
The Indian government should create policies to accommodate the tribal communities in India. Learning should be conducted in the native language of the indigenous people, preferably at the elementary level. Whenever possible, educated tribal young people should be hired as trainers (Mohan, 2020). This will eliminate the need to hire teachers from far locations who find traveling to work as challenging as living in a remote town without basic services. Lastly, each tribal-level region should have a minimum of one model boarding school and contain elements of cultural games and activities.
Conclusion
Education has great value that should not be understated. Most individuals consider it simply a procedure to develop the knowledge and abilities required for job opportunities. While education does offer a person an upper hand in the job market, that is not all it can achieve. The life of an illiterate person is negatively impacted in several ways, as the individual is unable to read and write, making it impossible for them to enter the workforce or limit their employment to unskilled labor. Even as the government tries to eradicate illiteracy, people need to embrace the thought of education, which would make it easier to increase literacy levels.
References
Ali, N., & Ahmad, N. (2018). Status of Education and causes of illiteracy among Labour Market Workers: A study of Aligarh City, Uttar Pradesh, India. Asian Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, 8(6), 1. Web.
Mohan, R. V. (2020). Educating tribal children: Issues. Tribal Development in India: Challenges and Prospects in Tribal Education, 149–166. Web.
Rupavath, R. (2021). Poverty and education: Attainments and Challenges for tribal communities. Contemporary Voice of Dalit, 0(0). Web.