CHALLENGES IN EDUCATION:

A Dalit PERSPECTIVERegional Consultation on Right to Education Act & the New Mission

Imperatives for Churches & Christian Education Institutions

Organised by RCDRC, Raipur Chhattisgarh

10-11 September 2010

Presented by

Goldy M. George(Dalit Mukti Morcha & PhD Scholar TISS)

Who are Dalits?

The Outcaste (Avarnas) within the varnashram 3000 years social oppression, political

exploitation, economically deprived & culturally dominated.

Menial job , service provider, facilitator, etc. Untouchables, asparshiya, depressed classes,

harijans, etc. Officially known as Scheduled Castes (GoI Act,

1935) Another understanding on Dalits brings all the

deprived groups SC, ST, OBC and minorities

Meaning of Dalit Dalit means broken people (Sanskrit, Hebrew,

Latin) A history, a people, a culture Accommodative history Resistance for justice, equality and peace Strongly believes in equality, liberty and

fraternity A sense of culture with a balance between nature

and human Democratic principles based on consensus Respect for women Recognition and adoration of ancestors First used in modern Indian literature by Phule Dalit Panthers popularised in 1970s with it anti-

caste, anti-class movement.

Dalits – A Factsheet

Total Population – 166 million Percentage – 16.6% of total population of the country No. of castes notified as SC – 1231 Literacy rate – 54.69% (census 2001); 57% (Thorat) 12% in the rural areas and 28% in the urban areas are

in small business In 2000, about two-thirds of SC rural households were

landless or near-landless, compared with one-third amongst the non-SCs

Fewer than one-third of S.C. households had acquired access to capital assets compared with 60 per cent among non-SCs

Dalits – A Factsheet 60% of SC households depend on wage labour

compared with 25% among non-SC In 1999-2000, about 36% of SCs were poor as

compared with 21 per cent among non-SCs Prevalence of poverty is particularly high among SC

households that were engaged in wage labour in rural areas (50%) and urban areas (60%).

On an average about 23,000 cases of human rights violations and atrocities are registered with the police annually.

Rate of conviction – less than 1% Out of about 800 accredited journalists in India, there is

none from Dalits As per CSDS Survey, not even one Dalit is present out

of 315 key decision makers in media. In top 100 industrialists and rich people no single Dalit

remains

Dalits – A Factsheet So far only two Dalit Judges have found place in Supreme

Court There is no actor and actress in Bollywood (Film Industry). No Dalit has been elevated to become the Cabinet

Secretary  As per SCP, the amount of expenditure of budget should

be according to the population but this rule has been violated (e.g., in 2007-2008 the total plan budget was 205100 crores and distribution to Dalits was only 12535.75 crores, it should have been 32816 crores; short fall of 20280 crores.

Out of 163 Missions of government of India abroad, about half a dozen SC/ST IFS Officers have been posted as heads of mission but none of them have been posted as heads of the missions / embassies in A and B category countries.

Dalit enrollment in graduate education is 8.37% as against 91.63% for others.

A snapshot on Dalit Education 15% reservation in Kendriya Vidyalaya

Also reservation based on the population ration is allotted by State Government run schools

GoI also reservesed 27% in Higher Education Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in primary classes (I-

V) is 88.30 %, for middle classes (VI-VIII) is 71.86% 38% Government schools, Dalits children have

separate sitting arrangements. 20% Dalit children are not permitted to access

drinking water from the same source. Dropout at primary stage (I-V) – 36.56% Dropout at middle stage (VI-VIII) – 59.42% Dropout at secondary stage (IX-XII) – 73.13%

(MoHR)

Years Non-SC/ST SC GAP1961 27.91 10.27 17.64

1971 33.80 14.67 19.13

1981 41.30 21.38 19.92

1991 57.69 37.41 20.28

2001 68.81 54.70 14.11

Trends of Literacy rates – a comparison

Problems & Issues from Dalit experience

Access to Education (The Enrolment)  Retention in School (Problem of drop out)  Educational Provisions (environment with

school and outside) Policy problems 

Analysis of Issues

High level of enrollment as per government data

But the data suggests that the higher the class the lesser the level of drop outs

Quality of education Problems compelling children to drop out

(within or outside).  Social exclusion in education exists

Access to Education

Dalit parents are not welcomed to the schools

Several prejudices and biases against Dalit community continue to be practiced

Discriminatory attitudes, body languages, approaches of teachers

Mid-day meal and untouchability practices Economic issues and efforts to resolve it. Denial of admission on various gr0unds

Retention in School

Segregation in sitting arrangements Children being asked to perform tasks

traditionally done by Dalits (eg: sweeping the school grounds, classrooms, bringing water for teachers etc.)

In most of the classroom situations, Dalit children sit on the back seats

In many states the reports of untouchability in drinking water and mid day meal scheme have been documented

Educational Support

There are many provisions for encouraging Dalit children to study like scholarships, uniforms, books, mid day meal (for all) etc. these are not in proportion to the population of dalit children’s.

The access to these resources takes lot of pain and majority do not get and therefore give up midway.

Even if it reaches to them, an insufficiency prevails. Dalit parents are treated inhumanly by

administration. Many a times these resources are not provided to

Dalit children. There is either delay or nothing is provided.  

Policy Issues

Trends and tendencies of universalisation Schools situated in non-Dalit locality. Non-Dalits owe those schools not Dalits Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) does not have

any specific program for Dalit children. Ignoring the issues of untouchability and

discrimination in education have been ignored

The Underlying Principles

A culture of non-implementation. A culture of dominance and violence A culture of rule of the society

The Challenges Before Us How do we look understand and address the

question of Dalit Rights to Education in the wake of globalisation? (week state,

corporates, market, commodity, consumption, surplus, etc.)

when the state itself has acquired a communal character? (Saffronisation, new syllabus, spreading hatred against indigenous and minorities, gender-biased, etc.)

when the state itself is casteist in nature? (non-preparedness to address the core issue of caste, freedom, wisdom, attitude towards similar groups)

when the entire phase of planned development in the post-independence era has failed to address the questions of marginalised? (development, upward mobility, subsistent economy, etc.)

Possible way outs

From co-option to co-operation; (from discriminatory educational patterns to inclusive one)

From tokenism to Dalit agenda (shift in educational politics with special focus on Dalit girl education)

Affirmation of identity (pro-human learning needs to be promoted)

Towards a larger common agenda (Universalisation of Education with specific focus on Dalits)

Rebuilding the culture of résistance (include history of Dalit leaders and stalwarts as part of educational curriculum)

Alliance building with other marginalised and oppressed groups (history of oppression based on caste, tribe, gender, occupation should be exposed)