Appointment process for tribal mentor-teachers going at a slow pace in Keralam

The Gothrabandhu project was launched in the 2017-18 academic year in the State to specifically curb dropout rates among tribal students and improve their quality of learning and education.

The appointment process of Gothrabandhu mentor-teachers for students from ultra-marginalised tribal communities is reportedly going at a slow pace in Keralam. Social activists are concerned if the delay will aggravate the dropping out of students from these communities.

The Gothrabandhu project was launched in the 2017-18 academic year in the State to specifically curb dropout rates among tribal students and improve their quality of learning and education. Adiya, Paniya, Kattunayakan, Urali, and Cholanaykkan are among the ultra-marginalised tribal communities. However, the appointment process was stalled recently after the High Court issued a stay order based on a petition filed by former mentor-teachers, who opposed the government's decision to discontinue the renewal of their annual job contracts and launch a fresh recruitment drive.

According to M. Geethanandan of the Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha, the government had notified the vacancies of 326 posts of mentor-teachers for lower primary classes in the three districts. Of them, 241 were in Wayanad, 56 in Palakkad, and 29 in Malappuram. However, of the 241 openings in schools mostly attended by Paniya students in Wayanad, posts had gone to Kurchiya and Kuruma community members who have no cultural or linguistic ties to those students. This was happening at a time when many youth from the Paniya, Adiya, Cholanaykkan, and Kattunayakan communities with TTC, D.El.Ed., and B.Ed. degrees were found to be jobless or working in plantations. What followed was a wave of students dropping out, also triggered by socio-economic hardships.

Now, it is learnt that the government is expecting a favourable order from the court. The Department of Scheduled Tribes Development has reportedly sent the rank list of shortlisted candidates for Wayanad to the office of the Deputy Director of Education. Of the 241 posts in Wayanad, 167 are meant for those from the Paniya community.

K. Mary Lydia, coordinator, Adi Shakthi Summer School, says that the recruitment of such a large number of mentor-teachers from the Paniya community will play a historic role in the educational advancement of students from the community. However, she expresses concern that the perceived delay could worsen the dropout rate among students.