CHAPTER-I
THE PROBLEM
CHAPTER-I
THE PROBLEM
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Tribes of India
1.3 Government’s plan to benefit tribes
1.4 Factors affecting tribal education
1.5 Tribes in Chhattisgarh
1.6 Learning environment
1.7 Adjustment
1.8 Attitude
1.9 Importance of the study
1.10 Chapter outline
THE PROBLEM
CHAPTER – I
THE PROBLEM
1.1 Introduction
In a country marked by a spaghetti bowl of languages, castes, ideas, cementing
indigenous values while embracing modernity is a progressive phenomenon. Within
the context of the education of marginalized communities such as tribals, a fine
balance between these two ends of the spectrum is necessary to yield results that have
an impact, are sustainable and underpin a holistic education effort.
Education as a means of advancement of capacity, well-being and opportunity
is uncontested and more so among communities on the periphery. Marked
improvements in access and to some extent in quality of primary education in tribal
areas have occurred and stem from government and non-government initiatives.
However, the number of out-of-school children continues to be several millions,
mainly due to lack of interest and parental motivation, inability to understand the
medium of instruction, teacher absenteeism and attitude, opportunity, cost of time
spent in school, large seasonal migration etc. Low literacy rates in tribal communities
continue to indicate a need for overarching support that tackles issues from health to
attitudes of non-tribal populations. India is an agro-rural society. Approximately 74%
of people live in villages depending on agriculture for their living. People are largely
tradition-bounded, showing resistance to change, more so in rural and tribal area.
The tribal‟s are, by and large the children of nature, their life style being
conditioned by their Eco-system. At present there are approximately more than 200
million tribal people, which is roughly 4.5 percent of the global population. They are
found in all region of the world. India has the largest concentration of tribal people
than anywhere in the world except Africa. The tribal‟s constitute an important
segment of the Indian society. The population of schedule tribe in our country stands
more than 9% of the total population (2001 census). They are spread over all the
states except Punjab and Haryana and over all union territories. A bulk of tribal
population is found in Eastern India, especially in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh, Orissa and Assam. Area inhabited by tribal‟s constitutes a significant part of
the backward areas of the country. An overwhelming majority of tribal communities
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THE PROBLEM
in our country have been living in remote and exclusive area in the thick forests, on
hill slopes and plateaus and generally in areas with poor natural resources. This
natural isolation has deprived them of the fruits of scientific and technological
advances on one side and it has led to their distinctive life style, cultures and
languages on the other side.
The Indian constitution aims at promotion of welfare of people as a means to
the establishment of a social order.
Article 17 – Says the abolition of untouchability.
Article 29 (c) prohibited discrimination in government aided educational institutions.
Article 38 – The state shall strive to promote the welfare of the people by securing
and protecting as effectively as it may, a social order in which justice social,
economic and political, shall inform all the institutions of country.
Article 46 – The state promote with special care the education and economic interests
of the weaker sections of the people and in particular, of the SC & ST and shall
protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.
1.2 Tribes in India
The tribal‟s in our country known as adivasis in Indian context, Tribe-
basically a politicoadministrative category had hardly retained any of its socio-
cultural characteristics. These people live in dense forest and are generally cut off
from civilized world, hence they have limited contacts with other societies. They are
backward because of their living pattern but these days coming generation of tribes
want to come and live with the main stream society for which government have
special facilities and aids which can help them to do so.
At the same time the parents of such children don‟t want them to change their
living pattern and also which is economically very difficult for them.
Traditionally referred to as adivasis, tribes or tribals ,scheduled tribes (STs)
constitute about 9% of India‟s population. Despite diversity in their community
history, language and relationships with the non-tribal world, approximately 87
million Indians fall under the adivasi population of which are nomadic and Denotified
Communities (DNTs). This is a government assigned category for nomadic
communities.
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THE PROBLEM
However, the largest proportion of tribal people in total population is in
Mizoram (95%), followed by Lakshadweep (93%), Nagaland (88%), Meghalaya
(86%) and Arunachal Pradesh (64%). Nine states – Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Orrisa, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal
together account for more than four-fifth of the tribal population in India.
The tribes are slightly over 8.4 crores as per the 2001 as per the 2001 census,
constituting 9% of the total population of the country. At that time 91.7% of them
lived in rural areas and 8.3% lived in urban areas. Their sex ratio was 978, much
higher than the national average of 933. (Selected Educational Statistics 2001-
2002). They are concentrated in the central and north eastern Indian states. Due to
vast difference between them in terms of their language, culture, socio-political set-
up, habitat in hills and forests make inter-communication difficult. It would therefore
an injustice to regard about 300 tribal communities in the country as a uniform mass.
1.3 Government’s Plan To Benefit Tribes
Education of tribals was an important issue before the Government of India.
The constitution had recognized the significance of education for social and economic
upliftment of tribal people. Article 46 of the constitution considered promotion of
education and economic interests of scheduled tribes.
The state of Chhattisgarh in survey statistics of population (census 2001)
stated the Scheduled Tribes as 31.76% out of the total population of the state to be
2.07crore.
Considering education as a major tool to change the condition of tribal,
government offered many support and facilities to tribal since 1951. It included
scholarship, reservation of seat in schools and colleges, mid-day meal, cycle to girl
students, dress to all students, provision of stipends and special scholarships, remedial
teaching for tribal students who joined IIT, AIIMS, IAS, Bank and other services,
exams etc.
Many departments have been setup to fulfil the aim of government, such as
Tribal Welfare Department (TWD). Also different positions holders such as
Commissioner Tribal Department (CTD), Assistant Commissioner Tribal Department
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THE PROBLEM
(ACTD) and Block Education Officer (BEO) are responsible for proper execution of
schemes floated by government.
Special grants were sanctioned under article 275 of the Constitution and
special cells were created for the realization of these aims. For reservation of Seats in
Educational Institution, the Ministry of Education had directed all the state
governments to reserve 7.5% seats for Tribal. 5% reduction of marks to pass the
qualifying examination should also be allowed to them. If there is a maximum age
limit, it might be raised by 3 years for Tribal students.
1.4 Factors affecting tribal Education
Attitude of Other Students: Attitude of other student is one of the important
factors for the promotion of tribal students in higher education i.e. environmental
factor is one of the crucial factors for the development. The negative attitude
which is reflected in university and other higher educational centre mainly located
in big cities.
Social factors: More allocation of funds and opening of schools do not go far in
providing education to the tribal‟s. Formal education has not been necessary for
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THE PROBLEM
the members of tribal societies to discharge their social obligations. Hence they
should be prepared to accept education and it should be presented to them in such
a way as to cut the barriers of superstition and prejudice. There is still a wide
spread feeling among the tribal‟s that education makes their boys defiant and
insolent and alienates them from the rest of their society, while the girls turn
modern or go astray.
Economic Factors: Some economic factors too are responsible for lack of interest
shown by the tribal people in getting education since most of the tribal people are
living in poverty, it is not easy for most of them to send their children to schools.
Lack of interest in Formal Education: In many states tribal children are taught
through the same books from which the non-tribal children of the urban and rural
areas of the rest of the state are taught. Obviously, the content of such books
rarely appeals to the tribal children who come from different cultural back
grounds. Under the traditional tribal set up a child enters adulthood with
confidence. He knows his environment thoroughly, knows how to construct his
own house, cultivate his field, weave his cloth, in short he acquires all the skills to
lead a reasonably comfortable life within the limitations of his culture. The simple
skill of reading and writing acquire in an over formal school is no match for this.
We as scheme is to be worked out through which the school children will be able
to link up the school and the teacher with their parents and the tribal activities.
Suitable Teachers: Most of the teachers employed for importing education to the
tribal children show little appreciation of tribal way of life and value system. They
approach tribal people with a sense of superiority and treat them as savage and
uncivilised and hence fail to establish proper rapport with their students. Actually
the gulf between teachers and taught can be best reduced by appointing teachers
from the tribal community itself or separate cadre of teachers for tribal areas, with
some inducements, should be created to serve the educational needs of the tribal
society. (Vaidyanathan and Nair, 2001)
Lack of Facilities: One of the major problems in tribal education is that of
language. Most of the tribal languages and dialects are in the most rudimentary
stages and there is hardly any written literature. Most of the states import
education to tribal and non-tribal children alike through the medium of the
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THE PROBLEM
regional language, which makes the education uninteresting and also hurts tribal
sentiments.
Nature of habitat: Most of the tribal villages are scattered. This entails long
travels to attend schools unless the school situated very close to their villages and
its site approved by the local people the result shall not be encouraging. School
building also plays an important role in his growth of education among the tribal
folk. Tribal students had additional disadvantages arising out of social and
location factor. (Sujatha, 1998).
Number of teachers: Most of the primary schools run in the tribal areas are
“Single teacher – managed whose presence in the school is more an exception
than a rule.”
Environment of family: Surrounding or environment is one of the important
factors that influence for the development of a person generally and particularly in
educational development. Most of the tribal parents are agriculturists and laborers
they have little knowledge relating to modern world and modern environment.
Their environment narrows that created narrow mentality. And most of tribal
fathers are addicts to alcoholic and other beverage items that are creating some
problem mentally and economically and result students will fail exams. Children
helping parents in their work is a social norm in many tribal community. Girls,
apart from taking part in agricultural activities and collection of forest products
are commonly engaged in sibling care. (Jha and Jhingran, 2002)
Communication: Communication is one of the key factor affecting the
development of tribal education. Due to isolation tribal are facing problem for
expressing modern and regional languages. For understanding tribal language
which is very difficult generally in the case of society and particularly in teachers,
because of which students are facing problem for discussing their doubts with
teachers. So their doubt continuing and automatically tribal students became the
last in the class.
Cooperation from Stake Holders: Cooperation is essentials for promoting
education in the case of tribal students. Their funds are flowing in number of
persons hand and at last that amount will go to students hand. The delay of funds
creating problem, so the respective authorities need to be responsible for
providing funds at right time at right hand.
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THE PROBLEM
1.5 Tribes in Chhattisgarh
In the year 2001 a geographical change took place in the map of India and
that was the formation of a new state Chhattisgarh which was carved out of Madhya
Pradesh. Though the state was newly formed but the people were old residents of the
place so the situations were also the same. There was a great challenge for the
government of this newly formed state to plan and execute the development
programs. Keeping aside all the things the other major issue was a large number of
Tribes in the state who were far backward in comparison to others.
Tribal‟s are described as “Indigenous people.” The Indian society never
accepted tribal‟s as the people among themselves they were treated badly and were
never allowed to come in mainstream of society. In Chhattisgarh there are many types
of Tribes among which the major strength are of Gonda which is the largest found
Tribes in Chhattisgarh which is 55.07% of the total Tribes.
Table 1.1
Percentage of tribal society in Chattisgarh (2001)
S.No. Name of Tribes Percent
1 Gonda 55.07
2 Halba 04.74
3 Bhatra 2.51.
4 Sawra 02.01
5 Urav 02.01
6 Manghi 02.00 7 Binswar 1.72
8 Maria/Bhumia 1.58
Baiga, Agariya, Maina, Dhawar, Korwa Kodku, Nageshiya, Kamar, Kawar,
Manghwar, Munghia, Khariya, Muda these sub tribal groups are having less than 1%
population of Chhattisgarh.
The main need for the development of tribes is their educational improvement.
This is experienced that this society after attaining education are able to find their way
of development. In this reference, government has paid attention towards education
development programmes for progress and development of tribes. Government has
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THE PROBLEM
Map 1 : LOCATION MAP
Chhattisgarh
INDIA
THE PROBLEM
decided that the financial problem will not be the hurdle in education of tribal
children. In this direction, Government has tried to educate tribal boys and girls and
but still the expected result has not yet achieved.
1.6 Learning Environment
An individual begins to learn soon after his birth and goes on with this process
throughout his life time. Every animal in this world is born with a certain number of
innate dispositions, which determine its initial responses. These initial responses
enable it to adapt itself to the simple environment which is around it. So, learning is
the process of acquiring the responses more suitable to the environment.
Many psychologists, notably the behaviorist, consider that this theory gives a
more or less adequate explanation of many phase of learning process. This theory also
takes into account the fundamental concept of connectionism. The human organism as
well as many other organisms too have an innate fund of responses, tendencies or
reactions which are activated when appropriate stimuli are presented to them. For
example, salivation is the natural responses, when an animal is hungry and food is
presented to it similarly fear and withdrawal are natural responses to loud noise.
These are natural because they have not been learned and are innate. But it has been
seen that if another artificial stimulus is presented along with, or shortly before of
times, the presentation of artificial stimulus alone, ultimately, causes the same
response to occur. In the way, the response is often transferred to an artificial stimulus
and when this is done, the organism is said to have been conditioned.
The appropriateness of environment is another factor which is to be noted for
success in conditioning. In the same way as it is necessary to control the stimulus, so
it is also essential to ensure that the environment is appropriate to the response which
is desired. The appropriateness of the surroundings or environment is essential
because whatever a student learns, he learns in context and whatever responses are
affected by the surrounding of the stimulus it is as much as or more than that by the
stimulus itself.
In the teaching of a language, if the class room situations are far removed from
the normal environment in which one most effectively learns that language, the
learning of the language will be very rudimentary. One most easily learns a language
when one lives among the people who speak it. The reason is that under such
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THE PROBLEM
circumstances, the requirements are most likely to be met. In such surroundings, if a
child wishes to communicate an idea, the desired word is frequently supplied by his
companions and he repeats it while the desire to communicate is still active in him.
This is the reason why the students studying in convents and public school in India
have much better facility in speaking and understanding the English language.
Similarly if a child is born in France he understands and begins to talk in
French on the other hard if a child is born at the same time in India he understands are
begins to talk in Hindi. This is the greatest example that environment plays a great
role in learning and similarly learning environment plays great role in students
learning and achievement.
Learning Environment in the present study refers to school environment,
teacher‟s attitude, extent of family support, friends cooperation in studies, once mind
set up for the studies and facilities provided for studies. It is a sum total of once
atmosphere during education.
1.7 Adjustment
In the words of Laurence F. Shaffer, Adjustment is the process by which a
living organism maintains a balance in between its needs and the circumstances that
influence the satisfaction of these needs.
Adjustment is that condition, a state in which the individual behaviour
conforms to the demand of the culture or society to which he belongs and he feels that
his own needs have been or will be fulfilled. Adjustment involves the gratification of
a person‟s need as governed by the demands of various environmental situations. An
individual‟s adjustment is adequate, wholesome or healthful to the extent that he has
established harmonious relationship himself and the conditions. Situations and
persons who comprise his physical and social environment. James Drever, describes
adjustment as the modification to compensate for or meet special conditions, whereas
Valhalla thinks of adjustment as psychological survival is much the same way as the
biologist uses the term adaptation to describe physiological change.
Accordingly, the process of adjustment has two main features first is „need‟
second is „circumstances‟. When we talk about need it can bio-generic, originating in
society, personal or communal or arising from any other conceivable source. On the
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THE PROBLEM
other side, the circumstances influencing these needs can either be inside or outside
the individual. Factors inside the individual that influence the needs are capacity,
attitudes, interest, physical and mental states etc. For incidence, mostly weak
individuals cannot fulfill their own psychological motives and thus their needs are
affected by their lack of strength. Factors arising within the environment are usually
geographic conditions, social conditions, cultural and political influences.(Chopra,
1989). And these need and circumstances can help for the fulfillment of the
individual‟s requirements. In this way, the nature of influences upon the person‟s
needs can be of two different kinds favorable and unfavorable. Favorable influences
help in the fulfillment of needs while unfavorable influences hinder their satisfactions.
(Yogesh 1989)
1.8 Attitude
Attitude is a mental tendency towards an object. It is readiness of mind to
show favorableness or unfavorableness about an object. Individual attitude is not
static, it changes radically under certain conditions. Though some efforts have been
made to study the attitude of tribal students towards educations (Sharma Khem Raj,
1994) but no effort has been made so far to compare the attitude of tribal and general
students towards education of Chhattisgarh state.
Attitude regulates behavior, not only in the class room but in all other areas of
human experience strongly positive attitude permits growth, negative attitudes hinder
growth, critical attitudes aid in making wise decisions, tolerant attitudes help in
adjusting to new situations. (Goyal, 1989)
Thurston has used the concept of attitude to denote, “The sum total of a man‟s
inclinations and feelings, prejudice or bias, preconceived notions, ideas, threats and
convictions about any specific topic.” The attitude difference towards non-violence,
creativity and conformity of tribes is an important behavioral component. (Yashvant,
1990)
K-Young defined attitude as, “An attitude is essentially a form of anticipatory
response, a beginning of action not necessarily completed.”
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THE PROBLEM
Britt defined attitude as, “An attitude is a mental and neutral state of readiness,
exerting directive or dynamic influence upon the individuals‟ response to all objects
and situations with which it is related.”
Attitudes and Attitude objects are functions of cognitive, affective and
behavioral component. Attitudes are part of the brain‟s associative networks, the
spider like structures residing in long-term memory (Higgins, 1986). A cognitive
component is made up of the beliefs and ideas or opinions about the object of the
attitude. The affective one refers to the feelings and emotions that one has towards an
object, „likes‟ or „dislikes‟, „with‟ or „against‟. Finally, the behavioral component
refers to ones consisting actions or behavioral intentions towards the object. Hence,
attitudes consist of three basic components: emotional, informational and behavioral.
According to Kanekar (1989), attitude roughly is a residuum of experience by
which further activity is conditioned and controlled. We may think of attitudes as
acquired tendencies to act in specific ways toward object. Similarly, Lacy et.
Al.(1983) defined that an attitude is a symbol of neural state of readiness, organized
through experience, exerting a directive of dynamic influence upon the individual‟s
response to all and situation with which it is related. According to Kiesler (1971)
attitude are pre-dispositions to think, feel, perceive and behave selectively towards
referents of attitude. Armstrong et.al.(1981) said that attitude are set mode of
thinking and they are evaluative. This definition explains that attitude is persistent and
evaluative. It means that attitude cannot be formed in haste. They are developed after
critical thinking and evaluation; the worth of decision depends upon the rational
thinking. Mookherjee (1992) defines it as, “Any attitude contains an assessment of
whether the object to which it refers is liked of disliked”.
In the present study these three aspects i.e. learning environment, attitude and
adjustment of tribes has been measured in comparison with the non-tribal students as
learning environment affects the child‟s mentality which indirectly shows some
impressions on attitude of the child in different field and also in the field of education
as attitude is mental condition towards the situation or environment which makes a
child to decide his reaction whether to go against or adjust for the situation.
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THE PROBLEM
1.9 Importance of the study
All these above mentioned reasons have serious impact on Learning
environment, adjustment and attitude towards education of tribal students. In school
the children cannot be called equal in all respect, they are different in many aspects.
The children those who study together belong to 4 categories they are: General
(Gen.), Schedule tribes (ST), Schedule caste (SC) Other backward class (OBC). ST
or tribal children are one of the category which have their influence in the society.
The present study aims to highlight the impact of the Learning Environment (LE),
Adjustment (AD) and Attitude towards education (ATE) of tribal students. The
outcome of the research will help in the improvement of the Learning Environment,
Adjustment and Attitude towards education of the tribal students and non tribal
students both.
The study will be helpful in understanding Learning Environment, Adjustment
and Attitude towards education of tribal children which aims at helping the parents,
teachers, officers and the society to understand and help the tribal students to improve
their academic achievement and social behavior. By knowing the learning
environment, adjustment and attitude towards education of the tribal students the
problems regarding their achievement and adjustment can be solved scientifically.
Though government and NGO‟s are providing support for their development
but it is a bitter truth that the work on papers show some other picture than the actual
fact when we compare the developmental data in records to the actual condition of
tribes there is a vast difference which can also be seen in the field of education of
tribal children. This is the reason of the gulf between the tribal students and general
students in learning environment, adjustment and attitude towards education.
Teaching learning process can be improved and making it more purposive. Good
learning environment helps the students to construct a bright future and lead them to
the path of success. Tribal children have to face many adjustment problems on
account of their backwardness. We can help the tribal children by early identification
and intervention of the problems. By knowing the attitude towards education of tribal
students teaching and learning can be made more effective.
As far as Chhattisgarh is concerned, it was carved out of Madhya Pradesh to
provide development to its distinctive historical social background and cultural
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THE PROBLEM
heritage. The purpose of its formation would be defeated if the educational
backwardness is not uprooted. Since Chhattisgarh is a new state, it is trying to
progress in all spheres. The economic, social and political life of the people is to be
changed. Without expert technicians, machines and engineers much progress is
impossible. We need them in increasing number.
Hence education is of great importance for a developing state like
Chhattisgarh. The vision of developed Chhattisgarh would be a reality if we pursue
education. Strong foundation is indispensable in order to achieve this target. Students
learning environment, adjustment and attitude towards education is undoubtedly a
factor, which would enhance in attaining this objective.
1.10 Chapter Outline
This thesis was divided into seven chapters including present one, which deals
with the introductory part providing importance of the study and the factors affecting
tribal education.
Review of related literature in chapter two referred to the relevant past work
done by the researchers in India.
Method along with the procedure and tools were addressed in chapter four.
The fifth chapter was devoted to results, analysis, interpretation and discussed
the findings.
Summary of the whole study was presented in chapter six.
Implications and directions for future researches were highlighted in last
chapter i.e. seven which was followed by Bibliography.
The last portion contained two appendices: Tools and data were provided in
appendix A and B respectively.
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