Aali Sinha & Laveesh Bhandari: Backward education

The relationship between education and caste isn't always linear. It is important to remember that caste-based deprivation may be experienced in the form of poverty and low social status. This deprived status results in a relatively-low chance of children belonging to these groups attending school and having a greater likelihood of dropping out. Further, children from lower socio-economic classes are more likely to be employed in wage-earning activities and, hence, lose out on school education. Beyond the economics of belonging to socially disadvantaged groups, the discrimination that children face at schools significantly affects school enrolment and completion, often resulting in a higher incidence of dropouts among these children. SC/ST students are often made to sit separately, not allowed to use school amenities such as drinking water. Schools have a potential of ameliorating an individual from their present state of deprivation; but equally, through exclusion, they can perpetuate the existing inequalities. Constant reinforcement of caste- and community-based negative stereotypes have a long-term effect on children, whereby they internalise these perceptions and see themselves as solely responsible for their situation (See South Asia Human Development Sector, 2004). Even though intangible, the experiences in schools have a significant impact on school enrolment and completion. 

Proportion of out-of-school population in the age group 10-19
Social group	Rural	Urban
Scheduled tribes	52.90	31.59
Scheduled castes	48.34	36.19
Other backward castes	44.03	34.43
Other (non-backward castes)	34.36	22.47
Total	42.84	28.88
Source: Benefits of Investing in Youth. Indicus Analytics

The status of education, especially primary education, in India has had some measure of success in bringing socially marginalised within the mainstream but it hasn't been satisfactorily successful and large gaps still exist.

Among the tribals, it has been seen that school participation is hindered by the gap in understanding of the worldview as expressed in the schools/textbooks and their own lived reality. A large number of tribal parents are illiterate and the school curricula are often out of context for tribal children, thus leading to an inability to relate with what is being taught. This can lead to disinterest in studies. Further, low learner motivation, poor parental participation in the education of children, and the overall socio-economic backwardness significantly affect the school performance of tribal children. There exists considerable diversity among the tribals themselves residing in the different states of the country.

Overall educational attainment is impossible without better performance of the SC and ST children. This requires us to device a system of public education that is not standardised for an "average" child. Greater flexibility of schools on issues of the kind of education is essential. Not only the text, but also things such as the environment in which they are taught, school timings, school locations need to be highly tuned in to the requirements of the most under-privileged sections. Private schools that are already doing all this witness the exponential growth of private schools in the poorest of areas. However, private schools have their own constraints. Flexibility of public school administration, rules, internal procedures, regulations and content is essential if success in imparting quality and relevant education is to be achieved.

The writers work with Indicus, an economics research firm.