By Rakesh Ray
Bhubaneswar, July 17: Thousands of tribal students enrolled in various Ashram schools functioning under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC&ST) Development Department of Odisha government are alleged to be in an inferior position.

There indigenous knowledge in the primary stage is substandard as they are being taught in state language instead of their local dialects, in clear violation of the norms of the Constitution, according to sources.

According to Article 350(A) of the Constitution, all linguistic minority children should get education in their mother tongue at the primary stage, but this is not adopted in the Ashram Schools across the State.

Around five tribal language group of children are enrolled in each Ashram school but instead of teaching them in their mother tongue they are being taught in the state language for which the tribal children are deprived of getting quality education, informed sources.

The United Nations Chapter of Permanent forum of indigenous issues too advocates of mother tongue based education along with maintaining indigenous knowledge, which will help tribal children to learn from their natural environment. But unfortunately the SC&ST Department is showing a callous attitude in this regard, alleged sources.

Ashram schools in tribal areas run under a Central Government scheme. However, Odisha has not been taking advantage of it in recent years. But the state did take advantage of it in the past.

About 109 ashram schools, 1031 Sevashrams and 143 residential Sevashrams are functioning under the Department.

Around Rs 1.70 crore was sanctioned for these schools in the year 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1998-99, sources informed. Last year around Rs 56.60 lakh was sanctioned by the Centre for the repairing work of the hostels.

The sources further added that the funding for ashram schools is 50 percent from the Central government and the rest 50 percent is funded by the state government.

Speaking to KalingaTimes.com here on Wednesday, Director SC&ST Department R.K.Chaudhury said that education of children in their own cultural context cutting across gender and social disparities are the challenge of the time.

Required support and academic input is necessary for the teachers and community at the field level in these schools, Chaudhury informed, adding that absence of resource centre and required policy has become a hindrance in introduction of such concept in these schools.

“Both Minister Chaitanya Prasad Majhi and Commissioner-cum-Secretary Dr. Taradutt are interested in the introduction of the mother tongue education in these schools and in few ashram schools these programmes will be implemented shortly,” Chaudhury said.