Decline of Ashram Schools in Central and Eastern India: Impact on Education of ST Children

Ashram Schools (ASs) were set up with the long-term objective of the educational upliftment of Scheduled Tribe (ST) children in India. However, the objective is far from being met and the lack of infrastructure as well as teaching capacity in these schools is hampering the progress of tribal children in many ASs. This article attempts to document the functioning of ASs and tries to assess the quality of education received by the ST children in central and eastern India. In this endeavour, an attempt has been made to look at the infrastructure, staffing, amenities and the quality of curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. In its methodology, the article deals with explanatory research design; survey and evaluative design were allowed to access the functioning of ASs. On the basis of the findings of the data collected from 13 ASs, the connection between lack of quality in education and obstructions in the road to tribal development becomes clearer.