Pune: The Union Budget announced the Eklavya model in the tribal areas of the country to increase the reach of education in remote areas. But the Maharashtra government is heading in the opposite direction by shutting down schools in the remote areas because they lack adequate student strength.
Educationists are divided about the usefulness of such schools. The residential schools, called ashram shalas, for tribal children, are in a bad shape and instead of opening new schools, funds should be used to improve existing infrastructure, they said.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley said by 2022, every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal people, will have an Ekalavya model residential school. They will be on par with Navodaya Vidyalayas and have special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development.
Activists in the education sector felt it will make the government the good person on paper. "The government should strengthen the ZP schools. It should provide more facilities to Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and ashram shalas. Tribal children are leaving school because of poor management," an activist, who did not wish to be identified, said.
Education activist Matin Mujawar called the move to open new schools a political gimmick. "Instead of wasting money on new schools, improve existing schools, provide infrastructure, given them biometric attendance and CCTVs will go a long way. What is the point of putting money in Ekalavya schools when we have ashram shalas functioning out of tin sheds and the students there dying of snake bites," he said.
Former chairman of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Vasant Kalpande said if the schools are made on the basis of JNVs or Kendriya Vidyalayas, then it will be a great way to give educational opportunities to tribal children.
"These schools have produced bright students and if this is replicated in tribal population in Maharashtra through Ekalavya schools, then it will be a great way to bring the population into the mainstream," he added.
